Final Fantasy XII

• 042 4  I can't remember the last time I was so addicted to a single video game and quite frankly , at age 26 , I really didn't think I could get into one like I did when I was younger . That was until I purchased FFXII and fell in love with RPG's all over again . I have to say that if you just give the new battle system a chance you will REALLY love this game . There are so many areas and levels and secrets and side-quests . . . it's incredible ! And quite frankly , the battle system is just a different take on the original turn-style battle system . All they've done is make it more interactive , fast , and given you the option to automatically have a battle plan so you aren't having to repeat the same commands over and over . ( If you're having difficulty with the gambits maybe you need to go play something less challenging . ) I enjoyed FFX but I didn't like how little you could move across the board freely to explore new levels and areas . It was basically a single path that you had to take . And FFX - 2 was great but I think it was geared more towards marketing the title to a younger female population and sort of lost some of it's appeal . FFXII has finally done it . PS2 could not possibly have gone out with more style . Get this game , lose some sleep , call in sick , and you will thank me .
• 040 4  I hated this game . I grew up watching my older brother playing final fantasy games and I loved watching it . I finally got a ps2 and started playing them for myself and loved them . This one I got for christmas last year and . . . . well . . . it's a year later and I still can't stand to play it . I hate the fighting style . I didn't CARE about any of the characters and didn't really get intrigued by the story line . I gave it 5 hours before switching to Mortal Kombat just so that I could have a character I could REALLY control . This game sent me looking for my old sega ! My roomate tried made it about 16 hours into the game before giving up . I couldn't even watch him play it I was so bored . The graphics were great . That's the only good thing this game has to offer .
• 111 4  I still can't get over how beautifully detailed and fun this game is . Its actually better than what I expected and much more . Its funny because My cousin and I bought this game together and I'm 20 + hours into the game and he's only 13 hours into it . The funny part is that He's further ahead in the game than me ! I ran into some interesting side-quest along the way and honestly thought they were part of the ongoing plot . Anyway my point is that this game has lots to offer and its HUGE ! and that may be an understatement . I'm 20 + hours in the game and I havent even scratched the surface . How does Square-Enix do it ? They manage to fit all these glorious visuals and gameplay into one dvd . I have to declare that they are the BEST game developing company EVER ! They really deserve many awards for all the wonderful games that they created . They know how to deliver quality and it shows in this remarkable game !
• 226 4  this game doesn't need a review , anyone who has played a final fantasy game knows that are of the best rpg's ever made
• 294 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) FINAL FANTASY XII IS BY FAR THE BEST RPG I。VE PLAYED TO DATE , STARTING WITH NINTENDO'S ZELDA.GRAPHIC , MUSIC QUESTS AND BOSSES ARE ALL BRILLIANT.IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED IT , GET IT NOW .


• 158 4  Incredible graphics , voice acting , and storyline . Awesome new battle system really keeps the game moving . Plenty of side quests for those who wish to make the most of the game . Easily the best RPG I've ever played .
• 142 4  This is probably in my opinion one of the better Action / RPG games on PS2 . The story line is great , the characters are great and the action is endless .


• 170 4  The game was intruiging from the start with the opening for a classic final fantasy story line . A few characters , so far , have hinted at some depth and possible development through the story line . The new battle system is awesome . It took a few seconds to get used to it but my wife and I love it . There is so much to do in this game and the side quests are almost as fun as the story line . The scenery is fantastic and the rendering and animation is what I call final fantasy quality . This is a game where you can explore for hours without getting bored . This is a hard game to put down .
• 089 4  I am sure there will be thousands of reviews on this game so I will simply add my own brief opinion . Be prepared to get addicted to the game play . I am not a huge fan of the series , yet the graphics , gameplay and depth of this game has me playing for hours . If you are not familiar with the series , this game will stand alone and you won't be lost by the storyline . If you are familiar with the series then you probably don't need the reviews to know that you will love this game .
• 156 4  only about halfway through the game and I'm already pointing at every new character and declaring that they will betray me . . . i don't know if i should hate the main villain or join him . . . i enjoyed this a lot already , it will take some work for me to hate the game by the end .
• 186 4  Once again , a great game , a great story . The maps are a bit less than wonderful , but the game is terrific . Just right for long winter days !
• 277 4  This is an awesome game with a new way of fighting for a final fantasy game . Very enjoyable and great story .
• 285 4  I have played ff7 , ff8 , ff10 , ff10 - 2 and ff12 in completion first off . The game starts with great story and graphic and an interesting new game play . But you soon find there is no love story and after about half way no new developments in plot . It is like they made half a game and hoped people wouldn't realize they forgot to finish it . As bad as ff10 - 2 was this might be worse .
• 289 4  I loved the graphics and the story line . It grabbed me from the time I started playing it . I would highly recomend this game to anyone !
• 303 4  This game was awesome I hate how people judge it because they changed it up they did it so its not the same game over and over and over like other ff games , but I'm not saying ff games suck cause I love them all but not ff7 and ff8 because you know what I don't really like those two very much . Anyways ff12 is really amazing graphics were the best out there at the time it came out , I did get this game the day it came out , but I was reading reviews and they pissed me off because this game is amazing just go out and buy it


• Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Been anticipating this game since I'm a hardcore RPG player ( both western and Japanese ) . But FF XII is a disappointment . I think it is one of the most overrated game of the year and Square-Enix failed to deliver a product to please old and new audience while trying hard to do so . The unnecessary way of prolonging gameplay for a game with a short story is just frustrating , disappointing and irritating . Square-Enix could lose a lot of support with this ill-fated overrated attempt of cross breeding western and Japanese RPGs cos it created a mutated monster that only live under the franchise name without the franchise substance . Battle System I must say the battle system is disappointing for a long term FF supporter like me . I became a hybrid of Baulder's Gate and Final Fantasy so it doesn't look like anything - not that it's bad to be unique but it destroys the fun of both aspects of western and Japanese RPGs . Also they immitate the Tales of Symphonia type of AI control but then at the same time doesn't have the depth of the Tales of Symphonia systems . You basically buy gambits for the AI controls but then that's it . It affects their performance by priority but e.g . if you set steal as the first priority - which you need to because enemies don't drop gil anymore so you need to sell your loot to buy extremely expensive gears to stay alive in battles - it will keep on stealing even there is nothing to steal and eventually get killed . But in Tales of Symphonia , the AI develop different skills depends on how you want them to behave in the battle , so it has higher replay value because if you want to see all the skills and different chain patterns , then you have to replay it . FF XII doesn't have that at all . Once your characters levelled up to a certain level , you can set everyone on gambit and run around just to let them kill . Not interactive at all . Some of the optional bosses and marks are ridiculously difficult and have things like immune to all attacks when near death just really put you off . Just imagine a boss with like 500,000 HP . You worked hard to wear down to say 2500 HP , then it is immune to everything and can only be attacked for 3 seconds when the immunity is down but at the same time cast instant death magic to all your characters . That is what we call frustrations not fun . I think Square Enix had gone too far on this . In terms of battles and bosses , I think this is so far the worst of the crop . In terms of magic , they change the magic system into a way that veteran FF fans can't find their magic anymore . White and Black are still there . But then Blue is gone and replaced by Time and Green . White and Black magic are basically the same but in the past with Esuna , you can cure all status but now you have a subdivision of Blinda , Stona etc . to cure individual status . But most important certain status can't be cured by magic . What the ? Green magic dumped all the status magic together ( in the past they are white magic ) so you have to run through a unfamiliar list for things you used to know . Time magic is ok cos it does tell what's happening . But Green magic man . . . so random and unnecessary Dungeons The worst thing is the introduciton of traps . You can have it in Vagrant Story or other games , but traps that completely block your path and can cause instant death in a FF game ? What is Square-Enix thinking about ? That is so unnecessary and waste of time and increase of frustration . Especially you got ambused already by enemies and then one of your AI characters stepped on a trap - start from the last game save mate . And you have enemies who plant traps ? Square-Enix is completely lost on that I reckon . Going through dungeons with hordes of enemies ( some so deadly ) without enough save points is already intense . Got killed by traps right in front of a save point ? Anyone find it challenging ? Save points that are actually monsters you have to defeat them to save when you thought you finally can have a rest after 2 hours of dungeon crawling ? Anyone find it fun ? Character Development You use license board . OK like sphere grid but you need to open them up with license point . Everyone starts at the same point , ok like the expert grid in FF X . But then in FF X you open up that skills as long as you have the step points . For FF XII , you open that up YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM FROM SHOPS TOO before you can use them . So it doubles up your effort and since enemies no longer drop gils , it forces you to do a lot of battles again and again to hopefull get something you can sell at a good price to build up the cash flow for them . I mean for gears and weapons , I can understand . But for magic and techniques ? Why is it not once you open up you can use it ? You still need a lot of LP to open up high level magic , but at the same time you need to use a fortune to buy them after opening them up ? What the heck ? Also they have attributes that you can open up but you can use that often e.g . Ether Lore ( increase MP recovery with Ether ) is great but then ether are not available in shops so you have to hope that they show up in chests , which usually give you 2 gils instead of anything useful . That's what we call crap gaming design . Especially if the chest is guarded by a super uber hard enemy . You killed it finally and find out that there are only 2 gils in it ? You just want to throw the controller across your lounge room . For weapon skills , if you think you can save LP to open up your selected weapon group e.g . guns for your designated character , you are wrong . This is because the next level of gun that you can use could be 100 miles away on the board , so you have to open up staff , spear , bows , crossbows etc etc and then found out you don't have enough LP to open up the license for the gun you just bought for 100,000 gils . Story The story is great I must say but it is very short . Considering that I can only play on weekends cos I need to work during the week , 4 weeks into it , I am near the end - and that's include I spent time on character development and quite a bit of optional boss fighting . So the story is very short but very gripping ( at least for me ) It is completely different from other FF games in terms of style , more on a political thriller side with some fantasy themes but it is great . That's the only thing that keeps me going with the game . The voice acting is superb . They have British actors to do voice acting this time and there tons of different accents in the game to represent different tribes and social class in the world of Ivalice . I think that is very clever . Also no more cheerful cutesy and annoying little girl character bouncing and jumping around . That is a huge improvement . Music and Visual It is not as good as other FF games . It's not that they are bad but just not memorable . The style change failed to make players remember a particular piece of music for particular areas e.g . you remember the HoneyB Mansion in FF VII , the opening theme in FF VIII and the Zanarkand Theme in FF X . But you can't remember anything in this game . It sounds familiar when they recyle the same music in the same area , but that's all . You can relate anything to the game by just listening to the music . Visual wise , I must say it is the most beautiful and detail game in FF history . Some of the areas you just want to look around because they are so well done and detailed that it's just a pleasure to look at it . However , because of all the details and sharp images , my eyes get really tired after a while , which is not common for me at all cos that doesn't exist in any other games that I've played since I started gaming . My other friend , who is another hard core gamer has the same problem too . So that is something to take into consideration . Overall It is a decent game , just not a memorable game . Personally I think it is a bit overrated and I do think that Square-Enix has lost the plot for the FF games . It's disappointing that it tried to create something to please global audience but then it failed to look like anything in the end . In terms of quality , other FF games are far superb except for FF X2 which is a complete mistake to even have that one . If someone wants to play action RPGs they can play Zelda or Champions of Norrath etc . FF games as a stake holder in the RPG genre is because FF games own unique style and system , but FF XII lost it all . The story is a huge advance for Square-Enix but that's all .
• 001 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) After a long wait , Final Fantasy XII is finally here , after such a long wait . Everything about it shines . From it's deep storyline , to its fantastic and complex gameplay . All worries aside , Final Fantasy XII is a keeper . The Archadian Empire has taken over the Kingdom of Dalmasca . The King has been assissnated and the princess is presumed dead . The people of Dalmasca are displeased with the Empire , especially a young boy named Vaan who believes it is up to him to take Dalmasca back . Luckily , he's not alone . There's an entire resistence group out there that are willing to help him out . The storyline of Final Fantasy XII is different from all the Final Fantasy games . For one , it relies far more heavily on its political drama and philosophical intrigue . What you get from Final Fantasy XII isn't a huge epic story in scope , but rather a drama that unfolds . It's a different way to tell the story for Final Fantasy , but here it actually works . It's still got some good twists and it is somewhat deep , but don't expect something along the lines of previous installments such as Final Fantasy X or VII . It doesn't have the most memorable ensemble cast either , but you do , for the most part , like the characters . What many fans are most concerned about when it comes to this new installment is the battle system itself . It strays away from the series roots . It is no longer the ATB style battles we've been used to since Final Fantasy IV . Instead it's Active Dimension battle . All enemies in any given area of a dungeon are present at all times and will charge you upon seeing you . You can free roam through any area , and so can your enemies . As your characters approach an enemy they pull out their weapons and you can begin to issue attacks . You can only play as one character at a time , but you can still issue orders to other characters if you want . Since all enemies are present on the map at one time , running away can be a hassle . Enemies will give chase , and some enemies will even join in the battle . The combat has a couple of downsides . For one , getting money is downright painful and repetitive . Your enemies don't drop money , and when they do it's not a lot . Instead you'll be forced to sell the items they drop . This wouldn't be a problem if stuff wasn't so expensive , and if the items dropped by enemies didn't sell for so little . Also , dungeon maps are huge . It's easy to get lost and overshoot your objective sometimes , even with the ingame map provided . This wouldn't be Final Fantasy without some complexity to the battle system , though . First , there is the game's complex AI system called Gambits . Gambits allow you t customize what your characters do in battle . You can set your characters up to attack , or you can get more complex and have them heal anyone whose HP falls below a certain percentile . Once you get used to the Gambit system , however , it's really easy to take advantage of . To the point where Final Fantasy XII becomes a cakewalk . Even worse , if you set them up too well , you'll find that the only thing you ever have to do is move around the left analog stick . It is entirely possible to track through Final Fantasy XII never having to open up the menu . Then there's the license point system . As you battle through the game you'll earn license points which can be spent on the license board . This helps to determine what spells , abilities and even weapon and armor characters can use . Yes , that's right , weapons and armor . You cannot use a certain weapon unless you have a license to do so . There's nothing too complex about this and it suffers from its own little issue , the fact that in the end every character is the same . Let's be honest on one more thing . . . for some Final Fantasy XII just might not be a lot of fun to play . The aspect of no random battles is nice , but take advantage of the gambit system , and Final Fantasy XII becomes a game that , for the most part , feels one-dimensional . The complexity is nice , but gambits can make the player feel like he's doing little to participate . What it amounts to is basically you moving around the left analog stick while your characters automatically carry out their own actions in battle . There are times when Final Fantasy XII can feel monotonous as a result . That's not to say you won't have fun , it's only to say that battling won't keep you as engaged for long . Especially when every character can so easily learn everything . The dungeons being so big doesn't help this . They've made big so that you will battle . And while the battle system isn't really bad in anyway , it can definitely be annoying to find that Square-Enix made a dungeon huge for the sake of padding out the length . Graphic-wise , Final Fantasy XII is fantastic . The towns are detailed , and so are your characters . The fact that each town has so many unique looking characters on screen at once is an impressive feat . The game also sounds lovely . Even better is the games artistic design . Towns are breathtaking . The game also sounds good . The voice acting isn't the best in the world , but it does manage to be good in many areas . Perhaps Final Fantasy XII suffers most in the story department . It's a good story , but the game doesn't spend a lot of time focusing on it . It gets off to a great start , but at some point the game just becomes so devoid of it that it's easy to lose interest in what may have been one of the series more interesting stories . Around the mid point of the game , the story takes a backseat , with developments coming further between . It's refusal to focus too much on its characters doesn't help this . It picks up again in the end and makes for a good story overall , but there's so much to Final Fantasy XII that just doesn't focus on it . What makes the story good is how well written and how cinematic each of the cutscenes becomes . When you get one of these in depth moments into the story it's really engaging and really good . The problem is just that for so long this doesn't happen much . The world of Ivalice is definitely beating with a pulse , though . Running through towns and seeing the vast populations really brings things to life . It's just a shame Final Fantasy XII couldn't have a more lively story . The Good + Fantastic Graphics + Good storyline + The new battle system is complex + Tons of side quests and secrets to keep you busy for hours + Beautiful soundtrack + Well done voices The Bad - Dungeons are huge and save points are few and far between - The battle system is too easy to take advantage of - The license board will eventually make every character the same - While the story is good overall , there certainly isn't too much focus on it
• 002 4  After a long wait , Final Fantasy XII is finally here , after such a long wait . Everything about it shines . From it's deep storyline , to its fantastic and complex gameplay . All worries aside , Final Fantasy XII is a keeper . The Archadian Empire has taken over the Kingdom of Dalmasca . The King has been assissnated and the princess is presumed dead . The people of Dalmasca are displeased with the Empire , especially a young boy named Vaan who believes it is up to him to take Dalmasca back . Luckily , he's not alone . There's an entire resistence group out there that are willing to help him out . The storyline of Final Fantasy XII is different from all the Final Fantasy games . For one , it relies far more heavily on its political drama and philosophical intrigue . What you get from Final Fantasy XII isn't a huge epic story in scope , but rather a drama that unfolds . It's a different way to tell the story for Final Fantasy , but here it actually works . It's still got some good twists and it is somewhat deep , but don't expect something along the lines of previous installments such as Final Fantasy X or VII . It doesn't have the most memorable ensemble cast either , but you do , for the most part , like the characters . What many fans are most concerned about when it comes to this new installment is the battle system itself . It strays away from the series roots . It is no longer the ATB style battles we've been used to since Final Fantasy IV . Instead it's Active Dimension battle . All enemies in any given area of a dungeon are present at all times and will charge you upon seeing you . You can free roam through any area , and so can your enemies . As your characters approach an enemy they pull out their weapons and you can begin to issue attacks . You can only play as one character at a time , but you can still issue orders to other characters if you want . Since all enemies are present on the map at one time , running away can be a hassle . Enemies will give chase , and some enemies will even join in the battle . The combat has a couple of downsides . For one , getting money is downright painful and repetitive . Your enemies don't drop money , and when they do it's not a lot . Instead you'll be forced to sell the items they drop . This wouldn't be a problem if stuff wasn't so expensive , and if the items dropped by enemies didn't sell for so little . Also , dungeon maps are huge . It's easy to get lost and overshoot your objective sometimes , even with the ingame map provided . This wouldn't be Final Fantasy without some complexity to the battle system , though . First , there is the game's complex AI system called Gambits . Gambits allow you t customize what your characters do in battle . You can set your characters up to attack , or you can get more complex and have them heal anyone whose HP falls below a certain percentile . Once you get used to the Gambit system , however , it's really easy to take advantage of . To the point where Final Fantasy XII becomes a cakewalk . Even worse , if you set them up too well , you'll find that the only thing you ever have to do is move around the left analog stick . It is entirely possible to track through Final Fantasy XII never having to open up the menu . Then there's the license point system . As you battle through the game you'll earn license points which can be spent on the license board . This helps to determine what spells , abilities and even weapon and armor characters can use . Yes , that's right , weapons and armor . You cannot use a certain weapon unless you have a license to do so . There's nothing too complex about this and it suffers from its own little issue , the fact that in the end every character is the same . Let's be honest on one more thing . . . for some Final Fantasy XII just might not be a lot of fun to play . The aspect of no random battles is nice , but take advantage of the gambit system , and Final Fantasy XII becomes a game that , for the most part , feels one-dimensional . The complexity is nice , but gambits can make the player feel like he's doing little to participate . What it amounts to is basically you moving around the left analog stick while your characters automatically carry out their own actions in battle . There are times when Final Fantasy XII can feel monotonous as a result . That's not to say you won't have fun , it's only to say that battling won't keep you as engaged for long . Especially when every character can so easily learn everything . The dungeons being so big doesn't help this . They've made big so that you will battle . And while the battle system isn't really bad in anyway , it can definitely be annoying to find that Square-Enix made a dungeon huge for the sake of padding out the length . Graphic-wise , Final Fantasy XII is fantastic . The towns are detailed , and so are your characters . The fact that each town has so many unique looking characters on screen at once is an impressive feat . The game also sounds lovely . Even better is the games artistic design . Towns are breathtaking . The game also sounds good . The voice acting isn't the best in the world , but it does manage to be good in many areas . Perhaps Final Fantasy XII suffers most in the story department . It's a good story , but the game doesn't spend a lot of time focusing on it . It gets off to a great start , but at some point the game just becomes so devoid of it that it's easy to lose interest in what may have been one of the series more interesting stories . Around the mid point of the game , the story takes a backseat , with developments coming further between . It's refusal to focus too much on its characters doesn't help this . It picks up again in the end and makes for a good story overall , but there's so much to Final Fantasy XII that just doesn't focus on it . What makes the story good is how well written and how cinematic each of the cutscenes becomes . When you get one of these in depth moments into the story it's really engaging and really good . The problem is just that for so long this doesn't happen much . The world of Ivalice is definitely beating with a pulse , though . Running through towns and seeing the vast populations really brings things to life . It's just a shame Final Fantasy XII couldn't have a more lively story . The Good + Fantastic Graphics + Good storyline + The new battle system is complex + Tons of side quests and secrets to keep you busy for hours + Beautiful soundtrack + Well done voices The Bad - Dungeons are huge and save points are few and far between - The battle system is too easy to take advantage of - The license board will eventually make every character the same - While the story is good overall , there certainly isn't too much focus on it
• 003 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) So , here's my take on Final Fantasy's latest . Is it the greatest ? Read on and find out ! BATTLE SYSTEM : Everything is in real-time , which any veteran FF gamer knows is not the way it used to be . Although it takes a while to get accustomed to this change I found the real-time battles a breath of fresh air - - something this series is definitely going to need if we're ever to hope of seeing Final Fantasy 24 or so . It is so nice when the only transition screens you have are those that occur when going to menus , new locations or cut-scenes . Also , the ability to run for your life all the way across the map is really nice , especially in addition with the sounds of thousands of angry hooves and feet stamping after you ! TRANSPORTATION : I don't know about you , but I LOVE flying airships on a world map ! Sadly , in Final Fantasy 12 this is not possible . Very ironic , because this is the powerful Playstation 2 and the game itself sports alot of airships . There are Chocobos , but that is the only type of transportation you actually steer on your own . You can take teleport crystals to warp you almost anywhere and later your airship can fly you places . STORYLINE : I would disagree with anyone that says that this game has no storyline . But I would agree that there is so much leveling up / looting to be done between locations that when you reach your final destination you might forget your initial motive for going there . As a whole , FF12 ' s storyline is not as prominent as other storylines , like FF6 and FF7 . And of course part of what makes a good storyline are good . . . CHARACTERS : Since anyone can learn any weapon or magic , the only thing that makes them unique are their looks . Fran looks like she escaped from the Playboy mansion , Vaan looks like a younger brother to Ashley Riot from Vagrant Story and Balthier is something of a mix between Setzer and Locke , which is cool . Reddas is an interesting Auron-like person , but he appears too little , too late in the game . Ah yes , and if only Elza in Balfonheim Port were a playable character . ANTAGONISTS : Part of the reason I did not get drawn in by the storyline ( what little there is of it ) is because the antagonists were not very convincing . You won't find anyone as evil as Kefka or Sephiroth . For a good portion of the game I knew that the Empire was evil ( obviously ) but had no idea who exactly was the Boss and even more importantly , WHY ? And it doesn't help either that the Empire's black-clad knights like Gabranth sound like Dark Helmet from Spaceballs . Or at least a very pathetic Darth Vader . MUSIC : I own several Final Fantasy game soundtracks and of course I think that Uematsu is brilliant in his work . But I also own the FF Tactics soundtrack and I was surprised how good it was . One of the two composers for the Tactics soundtrack did the music for this game . Unfortunately , by himself , he's not that good . Granted , there were no songs that felt out of place , but at the same time , there were no stellar tracks that captured the EMOTION OF THE MOMENT or had the genius of the work of Uematsu's earlier soundtracks . Considering that you will spend alot of time collecting loot / leveling up in different locations , expect to hear the same track over and over again . Also , the ending boss theme , sadly , is nothing spectacular . I'd even say it's forgettable . SUMMONS , SPELLS AND SIDEQUESTS : For perhaps the first time ever I found myself hardly ever using summons and magic . The summons are nice to look at , but die too easily and deal too little damage and sadly offensive magic is the same way ( although Flare comes in handy at the end ) . Even sadder , to get alot of these spells and summons you have to go on sidequests that are voluntary , but end up feeling mandatory - - or you could do the alternative and loot the land for 3 hours and search a whole world for the one shop that sells the magic / weapon / armor you need . GRAPHICS : To me , the least important , but they're definitely good . Although only the first and last few FMV scenes are worth watching twice and unlike FF10 , you can't buy them . SOMETHING FUNNY : When Vaan is running around saying I'm Captain Basch fon Rosenburg I thought it would be funny if he also randomly said , I'm Rick James , b-tch ! OVERALL : If you're a casual RPG gamer , this is clearly a solid RPG that is very well thought through in terms of game mechanics . And let's not forget , you can easily log in 80 + hours before beating the game , which is definitely getting your money's worth . If you're a veteran Final Fantasy gamer , one who's played since it's NES days ( or at least its SNES days ) , then you'll see what a weak story and soundtrack this game has , which to me is below par for a Final Fantasy title .
• 004 4  So , here's my take on Final Fantasy's latest . Is it the greatest ? Read on and find out ! BATTLE SYSTEM : Everything is in real-time , which any veteran FF gamer knows is not the way it used to be . Although it takes a while to get accustomed to this change I found the real-time battles a breath of fresh air - - something this series is definitely going to need if we're ever to hope of seeing Final Fantasy 24 or so . It is so nice when the only transition screens you have are those that occur when going to menus , new locations or cut-scenes . Also , the ability to run for your life all the way across the map is really nice , especially in addition with the sounds of thousands of angry hooves and feet stamping after you ! TRANSPORTATION : I don't know about you , but I LOVE flying airships on a world map ! Sadly , in Final Fantasy 12 this is not possible . Very ironic , because this is the powerful Playstation 2 and the game itself sports alot of airships . There are Chocobos , but that is the only type of transportation you actually steer on your own . You can take teleport crystals to warp you almost anywhere and later your airship can fly you places . STORYLINE : I would disagree with anyone that says that this game has no storyline . But I would agree that there is so much leveling up / looting to be done between locations that when you reach your final destination you might forget your initial motive for going there . As a whole , FF12 ' s storyline is not as prominent as other storylines , like FF6 and FF7 . And of course part of what makes a good storyline are good . . . CHARACTERS : Since anyone can learn any weapon or magic , the only thing that makes them unique are their looks . Fran looks like she escaped from the Playboy mansion , Vaan looks like a younger brother to Ashley Riot from Vagrant Story and Balthier is something of a mix between Setzer and Locke , which is cool . Reddas is an interesting Auron-like person , but he appears too little , too late in the game . Ah yes , and if only Elza in Balfonheim Port were a playable character . ANTAGONISTS : Part of the reason I did not get drawn in by the storyline ( what little there is of it ) is because the antagonists were not very convincing . You won't find anyone as evil as Kefka or Sephiroth . For a good portion of the game I knew that the Empire was evil ( obviously ) but had no idea who exactly was the Boss and even more importantly , WHY ? And it doesn't help either that the Empire's black-clad knights like Gabranth sound like Dark Helmet from Spaceballs . Or at least a very pathetic Darth Vader . MUSIC : I own several Final Fantasy game soundtracks and of course I think that Uematsu is brilliant in his work . But I also own the FF Tactics soundtrack and I was surprised how good it was . One of the two composers for the Tactics soundtrack did the music for this game . Unfortunately , by himself , he's not that good . Granted , there were no songs that felt out of place , but at the same time , there were no stellar tracks that captured the EMOTION OF THE MOMENT or had the genius of the work of Uematsu's earlier soundtracks . Considering that you will spend alot of time collecting loot / leveling up in different locations , expect to hear the same track over and over again . Also , the ending boss theme , sadly , is nothing spectacular . I'd even say it's forgettable . SUMMONS , SPELLS AND SIDEQUESTS : For perhaps the first time ever I found myself hardly ever using summons and magic . The summons are nice to look at , but die too easily and deal too little damage and sadly offensive magic is the same way ( although Flare comes in handy at the end ) . Even sadder , to get alot of these spells and summons you have to go on sidequests that are voluntary , but end up feeling mandatory - - or you could do the alternative and loot the land for 3 hours and search a whole world for the one shop that sells the magic / weapon / armor you need . GRAPHICS : To me , the least important , but they're definitely good . Although only the first and last few FMV scenes are worth watching twice and unlike FF10 , you can't buy them . SOMETHING FUNNY : When Vaan is running around saying I'm Captain Basch fon Rosenburg I thought it would be funny if he also randomly said , I'm Rick James , b-tch ! OVERALL : If you're a casual RPG gamer , this is clearly a solid RPG that is very well thought through in terms of game mechanics . And let's not forget , you can easily log in 80 + hours before beating the game , which is definitely getting your money's worth . If you're a veteran Final Fantasy gamer , one who's played since it's NES days ( or at least its SNES days ) , then you'll see what a weak story and soundtrack this game has , which to me is below par for a Final Fantasy title .
• 005 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) First , the good : It's set in a huge world with beuatiful landscapes and scenery . The FMV sequences are stunning , as expected . That's about all the good I can say about it though . From somewhere around hour 20 until hour 90 in gameplay , development in the story was almost non existent . Nothing really happens ! It's pretty much a series of boss fights and treks through random jungles . Every now and again there's an extrememly casual one lined piece of ' character development ' thrown in that barely keeps the thing going . It's quite badly designed also . For instance , not every shop sells the same spells . . . so by the end of the game , when the good spells finally become available , you still have to trek all around the world to find some of them . And even then some of them seem unattainable . Like ' bubble ' for instance - couldn't find it anywhere . Apparently you have to be at a certain clan level to buy this . Great . How is that supposed to make my experience of the game even remotely enjoyable ? And the ' Ardour ' spell , where was that supposed to be ? Why not just make all the spells available in all the shops ? Wouldn't that make more sense ? It's just a waste of my time to have to pointlessly go from shop to shop buying crap . Believe me , by the end I HAD LONG SINCE CEASED TO CARE ! Maybe people who play these games more frequently enjoy this kind of pursuit . I'm mostly playing for the story . Somebody else mentioned that the balance between risk and reward is disgraceful . I agree . It seems like you put in so much effort to get almost nothing . The treasure chests in the game are a joke - they contain a host of the most useless stuff you could imagine . Also , most bosses who are challenged by you in any way will just status effect the crap out of you until you die . Also the positioning ( or lack ) of some of the save crystals is not good - again , just bad design . I found myself pointlessly replaying certain parts after dying in boss fights because I couldn't save . Most importantly though , where was the character development in this game ? The most random people kept popping up out of nowhere when the ' story ' required their presence . Like that french looking guy with the sideburns . What was his function in the story ? What were any of them doing for that matter ? Could anybody understand a thing any of them were saying apart from the main six ? I know it was something about magic rocks . . . Only in the final five hours of gameplay did anything start to actually happen . But way too little too late . For instance , when Ashe says to Vaan , ' don't interrupt me ' , why was she so moody ? There is no relationship in any way between these two people . Vaan and Panello are . . . well what are they exactly ? If they're just friends , that's great . If they're friends with benefits , that's great too . But we're never told ! In fact , their friendship is never referenced in any way by any of the other characters . None of the characters are ever in any real jeopardy either and they don't interact with each other verbally at all . Like a bunch of strangers who met on a street and decided to walk in the same direction . Then they all decided to start fighting monsters and look for magic rocks . And then at the end Vaan says to Ashe , before one of the final battles , ' you've got good friends ' . . . is he talking about them ? They barely speak a word to each other for the entire game . . . they're off looking for magic rocks and then suddenly , they're best mates ? ? Jumping the gun a little no ? A bit of development wouldn't go amiss here . . . Maybe Vaan's just desperate for friends or something . . . I just finished the game an hour ago and can barely remember a thing that happened in it . It actually feels as if nothing happened at all , which is basically the truth I suppose . Quite unlike what I felt after final fantasy X , which was more like withdrawal . If it was Square's intention to make a game about six people whose relationships to each other don't develop in any way , then they succeeded . It's pretty much a group of people who get together and go on a quest ( something about magic rocks I think ? ? ? ) , barely speak to each other for the whole journey ( no exaggeration ) , and then go their separate ways again at the end . Thrilling . I can barely believe I just spent more than 90 hours of my life on this ! LESSON LEARNED . I really don't like being so critical about a game in a series that I have truly loved . I fully appreciate the efforts and the work that went into making this game , and I am grateful that there are people out there doing this . But I think you can do much better . In short , it's no final fantasy X and there's no epic feel to it like there was in that game . But still , you may enjoy it . I just found the whole thing extremely pointless !
• 006 4  First , the good : It's set in a huge world with beuatiful landscapes and scenery . The FMV sequences are stunning , as expected . That's about all the good I can say about it though . From somewhere around hour 20 until hour 90 in gameplay , development in the story was almost non existent . Nothing really happens ! It's pretty much a series of boss fights and treks through random jungles . Every now and again there's an extrememly casual one lined piece of ' character development ' thrown in that barely keeps the thing going . It's quite badly designed also . For instance , not every shop sells the same spells . . . so by the end of the game , when the good spells finally become available , you still have to trek all around the world to find some of them . And even then some of them seem unattainable . Like ' bubble ' for instance - couldn't find it anywhere . Apparently you have to be at a certain clan level to buy this . Great . How is that supposed to make my experience of the game even remotely enjoyable ? And the ' Ardour ' spell , where was that supposed to be ? Why not just make all the spells available in all the shops ? Wouldn't that make more sense ? It's just a waste of my time to have to pointlessly go from shop to shop buying crap . Believe me , by the end I HAD LONG SINCE CEASED TO CARE ! Maybe people who play these games more frequently enjoy this kind of pursuit . I'm mostly playing for the story . Somebody else mentioned that the balance between risk and reward is disgraceful . I agree . It seems like you put in so much effort to get almost nothing . The treasure chests in the game are a joke - they contain a host of the most useless stuff you could imagine . Also , most bosses who are challenged by you in any way will just status effect the crap out of you until you die . Also the positioning ( or lack ) of some of the save crystals is not good - again , just bad design . I found myself pointlessly replaying certain parts after dying in boss fights because I couldn't save . Most importantly though , where was the character development in this game ? The most random people kept popping up out of nowhere when the ' story ' required their presence . Like that french looking guy with the sideburns . What was his function in the story ? What were any of them doing for that matter ? Could anybody understand a thing any of them were saying apart from the main six ? I know it was something about magic rocks . . . Only in the final five hours of gameplay did anything start to actually happen . But way too little too late . For instance , when Ashe says to Vaan , ' don't interrupt me ' , why was she so moody ? There is no relationship in any way between these two people . Vaan and Panello are . . . well what are they exactly ? If they're just friends , that's great . If they're friends with benefits , that's great too . But we're never told ! In fact , their friendship is never referenced in any way by any of the other characters . None of the characters are ever in any real jeopardy either and they don't interact with each other verbally at all . Like a bunch of strangers who met on a street and decided to walk in the same direction . Then they all decided to start fighting monsters and look for magic rocks . And then at the end Vaan says to Ashe , before one of the final battles , ' you've got good friends ' . . . is he talking about them ? They barely speak a word to each other for the entire game . . . they're off looking for magic rocks and then suddenly , they're best mates ? ? Jumping the gun a little no ? A bit of development wouldn't go amiss here . . . Maybe Vaan's just desperate for friends or something . . . I just finished the game an hour ago and can barely remember a thing that happened in it . It actually feels as if nothing happened at all , which is basically the truth I suppose . Quite unlike what I felt after final fantasy X , which was more like withdrawal . If it was Square's intention to make a game about six people whose relationships to each other don't develop in any way , then they succeeded . It's pretty much a group of people who get together and go on a quest ( something about magic rocks I think ? ? ? ) , barely speak to each other for the whole journey ( no exaggeration ) , and then go their separate ways again at the end . Thrilling . I can barely believe I just spent more than 90 hours of my life on this ! LESSON LEARNED . I really don't like being so critical about a game in a series that I have truly loved . I fully appreciate the efforts and the work that went into making this game , and I am grateful that there are people out there doing this . But I think you can do much better . In short , it's no final fantasy X and there's no epic feel to it like there was in that game . But still , you may enjoy it . I just found the whole thing extremely pointless !
• 007 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) As is always the case ( I must admit to being a bit of a FF fanboy ) , I said wow after playing this most recent installment of Final Fantasy . In almost all other cases wow was all I could muster after playing a spectacular game . Now , I'm stunned by how unimpressive Final Fantasy XII turned out . It has left me utterly disappointed and questioning my faith in the future of this series . My disappointment stems from the carry-overs . There are many themes that appear in most of the games in the series . These carry-over themes have included airships , powerful creatures the party can summon , specific character jobs , chocobos , certain weapons and typically a character named Cid . The two themes that have the greatest impact on how the game plays are the jobs ( e.g . Warrior , Red Mage , Summoner , Dragoon , etc . ) and the summoned monsters . Jobs in this installment are non-existent . Each character is virtually as adept at being a mage as they are at being a fighter . This sounds deceptively inviting , leaving it up to the player to determine how you will develop your characters . Unfortunately , not far into the game , all your characters will have all the same skills since they're aren't that many . The only thing that differentiates character from character is the gear they have equipped . Take off their heavy armor , shield and sword , and strap on a staff , robe and pointy hat . You have just converted your best fighter into your best mage . This neuter approach to character development caused me to care less about buying skills . Summoned monsters were , equally , poorly implemented . Summons have been handled quite differently over the years . In Final Fantasy XII , the summons have been relegated to near uselessness . They have hit points and attacks that are surprisingly low . Summoning during a boss battle was an exercise in futility . The summon was typically dead before it could cause any major damage . Alas , the worst of it all is the introduction of an almost entirely new cast of summons . The old stand-bys , Leviathan , Shiva , Ifrit , Bahamut , and Ramuh , have been replaced by a freakishly overstylized group . It is with a heavy heart that I pass judgement on Final Fantasy XII . This game forced me to turn in my Final Fantasy Fanboy Badge . I can only hope that FFXIII will redeem the franchise . . . . . I'm not hopeful .
• 008 4  As is always the case ( I must admit to being a bit of a FF fanboy ) , I said wow after playing this most recent installment of Final Fantasy . In almost all other cases wow was all I could muster after playing a spectacular game . Now , I'm stunned by how unimpressive Final Fantasy XII turned out . It has left me utterly disappointed and questioning my faith in the future of this series . My disappointment stems from the carry-overs . There are many themes that appear in most of the games in the series . These carry-over themes have included airships , powerful creatures the party can summon , specific character jobs , chocobos , certain weapons and typically a character named Cid . The two themes that have the greatest impact on how the game plays are the jobs ( e.g . Warrior , Red Mage , Summoner , Dragoon , etc . ) and the summoned monsters . Jobs in this installment are non-existent . Each character is virtually as adept at being a mage as they are at being a fighter . This sounds deceptively inviting , leaving it up to the player to determine how you will develop your characters . Unfortunately , not far into the game , all your characters will have all the same skills since they're aren't that many . The only thing that differentiates character from character is the gear they have equipped . Take off their heavy armor , shield and sword , and strap on a staff , robe and pointy hat . You have just converted your best fighter into your best mage . This neuter approach to character development caused me to care less about buying skills . Summoned monsters were , equally , poorly implemented . Summons have been handled quite differently over the years . In Final Fantasy XII , the summons have been relegated to near uselessness . They have hit points and attacks that are surprisingly low . Summoning during a boss battle was an exercise in futility . The summon was typically dead before it could cause any major damage . Alas , the worst of it all is the introduction of an almost entirely new cast of summons . The old stand-bys , Leviathan , Shiva , Ifrit , Bahamut , and Ramuh , have been replaced by a freakishly overstylized group . It is with a heavy heart that I pass judgement on Final Fantasy XII . This game forced me to turn in my Final Fantasy Fanboy Badge . I can only hope that FFXIII will redeem the franchise . . . . . I'm not hopeful .
• 009 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This installment of Final Fantasy is definitely story driven . Sadly , however , the story is weak . Six months after playing the game , I can't even remember what those triangular spirits were about . Thank goodness for the nice dialogue . Without it the game would be untolerable . Character interaction is minimal , and there is no real team spirit . The main character Vaan and his friend Penelo seem to be nothing more than luggage . There's no point in them being in the game . I can't say that's a good thing . The evil guys and side characters are lame and their doings seem pointless . As with the main characters , none are truly explored . Talking with the townspeople is utterly pointless . The graphics are nice , though nothing mind-blowing . I didn't want to stop to view the scenery at any point . I have to applaud them for making the cities even a bit lively looking , by adding a lot of silent characters . One point of complaint is the very lame spell effects . The CGI scenes are nothing spectacular , definitely a step back from FFX . This was the first installment in the series where I wasn't looking forward to seeing the CGI scenes . The voice-acting is good , all the main characters give solid performances . * But * the Marquis and Al-Cid almost succeed in spoiling my respect towards the other performances . Thank goodness they have so few lines . All in all the voice acting is one of the best aspects of the game . The real-time battle system is a radical change from past games . It's nice but doesn't make the battles less tedious or repetitive in the long run . The enemies are also mostly boring . The party AI doesn't really shine , but thank goodness you can limit its stupidity with the Gambit System . Too bad that lots of the useful gambits appear only at the later stages of the game . The license board works for someone who likes perfect customization , but unfortunately I don't . I want characters who truly differ in their abilities . And talking about abilities , I found all the skills and most of the power ups really lame and useless . The summons , called Espers , are stupid-looking and useless in combat . The maps are at times annoyingly large . The fact that there are no secrets or secret places , and the randomized treasure , add to the insult . Many times the game devolved into a multiple hour running through empty fields , between short cutscenes . The music is bad . Nobue Uematsu left them and they replaced him with some clueless punk . There is zero memorability and some themes are just annoying . It's the worst I've heard in any RPG I've played . CLOSING COMMENTS : When I started playing , I was positively surprised by the good voice-acting , the nice - and at times witty - dialogue and olden style of speaking used by some characters . However it didn't take long to become annoyed by the pointless main character Vaan , the trite and stupid plot , lack of character interaction , huge and empty fields / dungeons with random and often useless treasure . All in all this game is about running hours and hours through fields , fighting repetitive enemies , so you could see a 5 minute stupid cut scene that advances the inane plot .
• 010 4  This installment of Final Fantasy is definitely story driven . Sadly , however , the story is weak . Six months after playing the game , I can't even remember what those triangular spirits were about . Thank goodness for the nice dialogue . Without it the game would be untolerable . Character interaction is minimal , and there is no real team spirit . The main character Vaan and his friend Penelo seem to be nothing more than luggage . There's no point in them being in the game . I can't say that's a good thing . The evil guys and side characters are lame and their doings seem pointless . As with the main characters , none are truly explored . Talking with the townspeople is utterly pointless . The graphics are nice , though nothing mind-blowing . I didn't want to stop to view the scenery at any point . I have to applaud them for making the cities even a bit lively looking , by adding a lot of silent characters . One point of complaint is the very lame spell effects . The CGI scenes are nothing spectacular , definitely a step back from FFX . This was the first installment in the series where I wasn't looking forward to seeing the CGI scenes . The voice-acting is good , all the main characters give solid performances . * But * the Marquis and Al-Cid almost succeed in spoiling my respect towards the other performances . Thank goodness they have so few lines . All in all the voice acting is one of the best aspects of the game . The real-time battle system is a radical change from past games . It's nice but doesn't make the battles less tedious or repetitive in the long run . The enemies are also mostly boring . The party AI doesn't really shine , but thank goodness you can limit its stupidity with the Gambit System . Too bad that lots of the useful gambits appear only at the later stages of the game . The license board works for someone who likes perfect customization , but unfortunately I don't . I want characters who truly differ in their abilities . And talking about abilities , I found all the skills and most of the power ups really lame and useless . The summons , called Espers , are stupid-looking and useless in combat . The maps are at times annoyingly large . The fact that there are no secrets or secret places , and the randomized treasure , add to the insult . Many times the game devolved into a multiple hour running through empty fields , between short cutscenes . The music is bad . Nobue Uematsu left them and they replaced him with some clueless punk . There is zero memorability and some themes are just annoying . It's the worst I've heard in any RPG I've played . CLOSING COMMENTS : When I started playing , I was positively surprised by the good voice-acting , the nice - and at times witty - dialogue and olden style of speaking used by some characters . However it didn't take long to become annoyed by the pointless main character Vaan , the trite and stupid plot , lack of character interaction , huge and empty fields / dungeons with random and often useless treasure . All in all this game is about running hours and hours through fields , fighting repetitive enemies , so you could see a 5 minute stupid cut scene that advances the inane plot .
• 011 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Okay , I can't say that I've been a long time FF fan - - I've only recently been going back and exploring previous entries into the genre , largely with the help of friends and buying the older ones for my DS . ( I am from the old school , where my very first game system was an Atari , and could play Pac-Man for hours on end until my hand locked up and without pac-man dying , lol , but I soon lost interest after that era of gaming fizzled out . ) Yes , the CGI in XII is beautiful , as a graphic artist still in college training , I love great graphics . But I agree with those who said that the characters lack substance and the story drags - - it's a flaw that happens in many a political sp ? > storyline , whether it be fantasy / sci-fi novels , or video games . I would go so far as to say that the characters are more 1 dimensional than 2 dimensional . But what really killed this game for me is that huge amount of fighting . Most of the sidequests are fighting based - - and while I'm okay with fighting , it has never been my most favorite part of a video game . And when the final hunt battle takes 6 hours ( I've heard it can take that long , but I'm still in the midst of the final hunt that has already taken way too long ) that's just too much . I like an RPG because it's a ROLE-playing game , not because it's a FIGHTING game . ( Btw , unlike most , I didn't have an issue with the fighting system . Indeed , most of the time , I preferred to fight in real time . ) In this venue XII seems sadly lacking . . . there are a few non-fighting related sidequests , but I'm over 240 hours into the game , fighting the last hunt battle , and frankly , I'm bored . I bought the game the same day it came out - - and I have a tendency to try and finish all the side games I can bear before ending a game , but I long ago lost interest in this game . I now go for weeks without ever once thinking of trying to play the thing - - and for a FF game , that's just plain sad - - not to mention worriesome . Great graphics alone will never make for a great story . Square-Enix jumped the boat here . You build the story first , then create the graphics around the characters and story . Playing this game , I have this awful feeling the reverse was done for XII . Somewhere in the midst of FF : The Spirits Within and FF VII : Advent Children SquareEnix seems to have lost their footing . They're going after glorious CGI - - which I admit , the artist in me loves and enjoys poring over . But I find I much more enjoy the solid gameplay and characterizations in other RPGs , often with poorer CGI than the more recent FFs . Seems , SquareEnix hasn't learned their lesson yet - - you cannot sacrifice good storyline and solid characters in the desperate hopes that stunning CGI will carry the day , and the game . That just doesn't happen . Example : What do fans of FFVII and FFVIII go on about ? Certainly not the graphics - - but the characters , and their tribulations . In the end , the stories carried the day . Every once in a while , you see a mention of graphics , but that's not what obsesses people . Good story and characters you can relate to , those do . Being a fan of the Kingdom Hearts series as well , I can only hope that at least one of FFXIII improves upon FFXII - - having the K。's creator on board . If you buy this game , be prepared for equal parts enjoyment and disappointment - - soon to be followed by sheer boredom .
• 012 4  Okay , I can't say that I've been a long time FF fan - - I've only recently been going back and exploring previous entries into the genre , largely with the help of friends and buying the older ones for my DS . ( I am from the old school , where my very first game system was an Atari , and could play Pac-Man for hours on end until my hand locked up and without pac-man dying , lol , but I soon lost interest after that era of gaming fizzled out . ) Yes , the CGI in XII is beautiful , as a graphic artist still in college training , I love great graphics . But I agree with those who said that the characters lack substance and the story drags - - it's a flaw that happens in many a political sp ? > storyline , whether it be fantasy / sci-fi novels , or video games . I would go so far as to say that the characters are more 1 dimensional than 2 dimensional . But what really killed this game for me is that huge amount of fighting . Most of the sidequests are fighting based - - and while I'm okay with fighting , it has never been my most favorite part of a video game . And when the final hunt battle takes 6 hours ( I've heard it can take that long , but I'm still in the midst of the final hunt that has already taken way too long ) that's just too much . I like an RPG because it's a ROLE-playing game , not because it's a FIGHTING game . ( Btw , unlike most , I didn't have an issue with the fighting system . Indeed , most of the time , I preferred to fight in real time . ) In this venue XII seems sadly lacking . . . there are a few non-fighting related sidequests , but I'm over 240 hours into the game , fighting the last hunt battle , and frankly , I'm bored . I bought the game the same day it came out - - and I have a tendency to try and finish all the side games I can bear before ending a game , but I long ago lost interest in this game . I now go for weeks without ever once thinking of trying to play the thing - - and for a FF game , that's just plain sad - - not to mention worriesome . Great graphics alone will never make for a great story . Square-Enix jumped the boat here . You build the story first , then create the graphics around the characters and story . Playing this game , I have this awful feeling the reverse was done for XII . Somewhere in the midst of FF : The Spirits Within and FF VII : Advent Children SquareEnix seems to have lost their footing . They're going after glorious CGI - - which I admit , the artist in me loves and enjoys poring over . But I find I much more enjoy the solid gameplay and characterizations in other RPGs , often with poorer CGI than the more recent FFs . Seems , SquareEnix hasn't learned their lesson yet - - you cannot sacrifice good storyline and solid characters in the desperate hopes that stunning CGI will carry the day , and the game . That just doesn't happen . Example : What do fans of FFVII and FFVIII go on about ? Certainly not the graphics - - but the characters , and their tribulations . In the end , the stories carried the day . Every once in a while , you see a mention of graphics , but that's not what obsesses people . Good story and characters you can relate to , those do . Being a fan of the Kingdom Hearts series as well , I can only hope that at least one of FFXIII improves upon FFXII - - having the K。's creator on board . If you buy this game , be prepared for equal parts enjoyment and disappointment - - soon to be followed by sheer boredom .
• 013 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy is sometimes thought of as a kiddy game with chocobos and moogles . Final Fantasy XII proves that this series can present an awesome storyline and graphics that all ages will adore . Don't worry if you haven't played all of the other Final Fantasy games . You don't need to . There are subtle carry-overs , but this game is meant to stand alone . You are a young orphan in a city recovering after a war . The cruel Empire has taken over your home town , and you enjoy causing trouble for the soldiers . Soon , of course , you're swept up in an epic rebellion . The storyline here is just * amazing * . Not just the plot itself , but the voice acting , the dialogue , the graphics , they are top notch . This is really like being a part of an extremely well done drama movie . They delve into issues of honor , loyalty , love , betrayal , and more . I'm an adult gamer , and I was staying up many long nights because I wanted to see where the story was going . Some of the subtle interactions between characters in cut scenes are just amazing . The small nods , the looks in their eyes , you are hard pressed to remember that they are animated in a computer game . Gameplay itself revolves around a party of characters going on quests , fighting in battles and moving through the large world . Each character gains experience and skills as they go . You buy them new weapons and armor , train them in spells , and aim them in their career growth however you wish . There is a dual system in play here . First , you need to physically own the weapon or item you wish to use - say an iron sword . But then you need to KNOW how to use it too ! You can't just hand an iron sword to a 10 year old piano player and expect her to know how to use it . That skill is called a license . You have an online license chart that lets you manage what each character knows . Licenses relate to each other . If your character learns the basics of sword work , now they can learn a more advanced version . It is very intuitive and adds a fun element to the game . It's not just one straight line that you choose and are stuck with . It's an all-directions layout where you can try new skills or expand out as you learn the system better . I really like combat in this Final Fantasy as well . Instead of random battles where enemies appear out of nowhere to assault you , all enemies are on the map with you . If you're running along a path in the desert and see something really scary in the distance , you run away from it ! You don't have to worry about enemies springing up out of nowhere to slam you into the ground . The enemies in general are challenging but not impossible . There are spots where you really have to think about the enemy and what its weakness is to defeat it . You can't just brute force bash away at everything and hope to succeed . Still , as great as the gameplay is , and as gorgeous as the visuals and music and voice acting are , I really have to come back to the plot and characters as standing out here . There's been a lot of talk in the gaming world about a game that finally goes from little pixels on the screen that you move from X to Y to the point of * caring * about these characters , about what they are going through , and feeling emotional about their highs and lows . I really think Final Fantasy XII has hit that level . Yes , there are one or two twerpy characters that can be annoying . Even Star Wars had Luke whining about the Takashi Station at the beginning , to set his basis for growth . In general , though , every single character here seems real , seems complex , and you don't want to put the game down . Highly , highly recommended .
• 019 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) After a complete playthrough , I decided to give the positive and negative points of this epic campaign called Final Fantasy XII . Positive : - Better than its predecessor FFXI ; FFXII takes the best elements of the online version and incorporates them well into this verson . - Intuitive combat system , challenging when played live and not turn-based - Beautiful graphics and a great soundtrack despite the system's limitations - Better voice acting than FFX , contributes to character development - The best storyline in an RPG to date , there is nothing better Negative : - Combat system is easy ; essentially automatic on regular enemy fights - Confusing license system - Combat relies mostly on melee and healing spells , mages are slow and almost worthless - No progressive scan feature ( not a big deal , but would be nice for HDTVs ) - Setting up spell and auto attack features for characters becomes a chore The game in itself is an epic story told through a video game . You could easily take the policial issues shown in this game and incorporate it into a Tom Clancy novel , only set in a mideval atmosphere . I am hard-preseed to see another RPG that has something this deep and adult-oriented on plot . The main character you play unfortunately doesn't play into the political strife of the game , and I think it is mostly because of his age . You play a 17 - year-old vagrant named Vaan . While I dreaded playing a whiney teenage character due to previous RPG experiences ( dot hack and FFX being prime examples ) , Vaan is anything but . He does go off on tangent at times , but it is nowhere near the extent that I expected . Despite his maturity on the situation , you feel Vaan is more of an observer of the politics than a player . He stays quiet through many of the cut scenes . Basch would have been my pick for the main character . He was directly involved with most of the story , and had a great redeeming quality about him I felt could have been explored more if I followed him instead . Beyond the storyline and character development , the combat system is a mixed bag of bolts . The gambit system , which dictates how your character friends fight for you , was a blessing and a curse . It was a blessing in that I didn't have to worry about taking care of other people in my party beyond myself , and a curse in that it made the game easy . You can set up the gambit system and ADP to automatically fight battles . This makes it so you run in the direction of an enemy and it is killed without having to press a button . I didn't understand how the core element of gameplay could be automated like this and not have been improved upon ( Star Ocean's battle system is a great example of how FFXII could have been ) . I also found that bringing a caster character that didn't heal was a worthless slot . Fighter characters do more damage over time , and you can set them up to heal themselves . If you bring a character that only does spell damage , they take twice as long to cast , and do the same damage as a front-line fighter . There were many instances were a mage character ( Fran ) wouldn't be able to get a spell off on an enemy till a boss fight . I had an easier time with a team full of hybrid healers with one primary healer than I did with a damage caster . However I consider these nuisances small toward the total scope of this installment of Final Fantasy . Plot development is top-notch , and other RPG companies can easily take a lesson from FFXII on how not to make another dull manga-looking game about saving the world from total destruction . This game will remain timeless because of its quality , and I recommend playing this to anyone who enjoys epic RPGs .
• 020 4  After a complete playthrough , I decided to give the positive and negative points of this epic campaign called Final Fantasy XII . Positive : - Better than its predecessor FFXI ; FFXII takes the best elements of the online version and incorporates them well into this verson . - Intuitive combat system , challenging when played live and not turn-based - Beautiful graphics and a great soundtrack despite the system's limitations - Better voice acting than FFX , contributes to character development - The best storyline in an RPG to date , there is nothing better Negative : - Combat system is easy ; essentially automatic on regular enemy fights - Confusing license system - Combat relies mostly on melee and healing spells , mages are slow and almost worthless - No progressive scan feature ( not a big deal , but would be nice for HDTVs ) - Setting up spell and auto attack features for characters becomes a chore The game in itself is an epic story told through a video game . You could easily take the policial issues shown in this game and incorporate it into a Tom Clancy novel , only set in a mideval atmosphere . I am hard-preseed to see another RPG that has something this deep and adult-oriented on plot . The main character you play unfortunately doesn't play into the political strife of the game , and I think it is mostly because of his age . You play a 17 - year-old vagrant named Vaan . While I dreaded playing a whiney teenage character due to previous RPG experiences ( dot hack and FFX being prime examples ) , Vaan is anything but . He does go off on tangent at times , but it is nowhere near the extent that I expected . Despite his maturity on the situation , you feel Vaan is more of an observer of the politics than a player . He stays quiet through many of the cut scenes . Basch would have been my pick for the main character . He was directly involved with most of the story , and had a great redeeming quality about him I felt could have been explored more if I followed him instead . Beyond the storyline and character development , the combat system is a mixed bag of bolts . The gambit system , which dictates how your character friends fight for you , was a blessing and a curse . It was a blessing in that I didn't have to worry about taking care of other people in my party beyond myself , and a curse in that it made the game easy . You can set up the gambit system and ADP to automatically fight battles . This makes it so you run in the direction of an enemy and it is killed without having to press a button . I didn't understand how the core element of gameplay could be automated like this and not have been improved upon ( Star Ocean's battle system is a great example of how FFXII could have been ) . I also found that bringing a caster character that didn't heal was a worthless slot . Fighter characters do more damage over time , and you can set them up to heal themselves . If you bring a character that only does spell damage , they take twice as long to cast , and do the same damage as a front-line fighter . There were many instances were a mage character ( Fran ) wouldn't be able to get a spell off on an enemy till a boss fight . I had an easier time with a team full of hybrid healers with one primary healer than I did with a damage caster . However I consider these nuisances small toward the total scope of this installment of Final Fantasy . Plot development is top-notch , and other RPG companies can easily take a lesson from FFXII on how not to make another dull manga-looking game about saving the world from total destruction . This game will remain timeless because of its quality , and I recommend playing this to anyone who enjoys epic RPGs .
• 021 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) . . . whoa the covers different in this country . . . talk about mind warping . . . it looks so much worse . . . anyway . . . I've played every FF game from one to twelve and this is the only time I have decided not to finish a FF game . What made the other FF games so great was the experience of watching your characters grow their relationships and strengths with great ways to learn new ablities such as the materia system in FF7 or the Sphere grid in FF10 . Along with limit breaks ( Trances , overdives etc . . . ) and summonings . Along with the heap loads left to do that has nothing to do with the story such as defeating the Emerald weapon or collecting all the cards . This FF has barely any of these traits . The leveling up is tedious because old monster models are used over and over again and the fighting system which is meant to be revolutionary is just irritating and boring . The license board system is annoying because it's impossible to see what makes characters different to others ; I understand trying to master all skills but if there are no parameters at all then all characters will be very similar . The characters bore me to death and has one of the worse main characters ever ( Vaan just seems to be dropped in without a care ) . The main story is also nothing compared to the gold of the stories in the older plots ; I can't relate to these characters at all . Now I won't lie the FMVs are very impressive , but that's just not enough to make this great . Is this Enix's fault for joining Squaresoft ? I mean FFX - 2 wasn't exactly the best was it ? I'll let you be the judge .
• 022 4  . . . whoa the covers different in this country . . . talk about mind warping . . . it looks so much worse . . . anyway . . . I've played every FF game from one to twelve and this is the only time I have decided not to finish a FF game . What made the other FF games so great was the experience of watching your characters grow their relationships and strengths with great ways to learn new ablities such as the materia system in FF7 or the Sphere grid in FF10 . Along with limit breaks ( Trances , overdives etc . . . ) and summonings . Along with the heap loads left to do that has nothing to do with the story such as defeating the Emerald weapon or collecting all the cards . This FF has barely any of these traits . The leveling up is tedious because old monster models are used over and over again and the fighting system which is meant to be revolutionary is just irritating and boring . The license board system is annoying because it's impossible to see what makes characters different to others ; I understand trying to master all skills but if there are no parameters at all then all characters will be very similar . The characters bore me to death and has one of the worse main characters ever ( Vaan just seems to be dropped in without a care ) . The main story is also nothing compared to the gold of the stories in the older plots ; I can't relate to these characters at all . Now I won't lie the FMVs are very impressive , but that's just not enough to make this great . Is this Enix's fault for joining Squaresoft ? I mean FFX - 2 wasn't exactly the best was it ? I'll let you be the judge .
• 023 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I think most of what I have to say has been said in the other reviewer's posts . However , the thing that really makes this game great is the monumental amount of things to do and visit within the game . I really can't describe how vast the world is , with locales ranging from towering cities to underground colosseums to floating towns in the sky . It's incredibly large , with an equal amount of things to do , find , and fight within them . I agree with the other reviewers , the story really doesn't suck you in as much . It's long and difficult to follow and get really into , but still incredible compared to most other games . However , the various areas , cities , and people all give the game a unique flavor . Definitely worth your money . Get the strategy guide if you want to know what's going on . There's no way to stress how important that is to the game .
• 024 4  I think most of what I have to say has been said in the other reviewer's posts . However , the thing that really makes this game great is the monumental amount of things to do and visit within the game . I really can't describe how vast the world is , with locales ranging from towering cities to underground colosseums to floating towns in the sky . It's incredibly large , with an equal amount of things to do , find , and fight within them . I agree with the other reviewers , the story really doesn't suck you in as much . It's long and difficult to follow and get really into , but still incredible compared to most other games . However , the various areas , cities , and people all give the game a unique flavor . Definitely worth your money . Get the strategy guide if you want to know what's going on . There's no way to stress how important that is to the game .
• 027 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Ah , another FF ! It's been nearly ten years from when the seventh volume of the Final Fantasy series was released on this side of the Atlantic to great fanfare and unprecedented sales , and around two decades from the original release of the first 8 - bit game . In that time the series has evolved above and beyond most other video game franchises to achieve the highwater mark of both acknowledged craft and big-number sales in the industry . Final Fantasy XII , latest entry of the franchise , is somewhat of a dark sheep however . Directed by Yasumi Matsuno of FF Tactics fame , the game promised to continue many longstanding traditions ( Chocobos , Mogs , summons et al . ) while radically overhauling the fundamental battle system . Whereas previous games had all contained a developed theme - isolation and love in FF8 ; a critical look at theism in FF10 - it was announced that the concept of race and Empires at war would be FF12 ' s primary focus . Yet something strange happened around 2003 - 2004 . Matsuno bowed out as director due to ` health issues ' , and whispers around the Square fanboy campfire ranged from the possibility of a nervous breakdown to a quiet , carefully orchestrated ouster of the veteran game developer by the top executives - Matsuno is notorious for perfectionism . After years of delay , FFXII debuted in Japan in the spring of 2006 , right around the time that the new promotional kits for the multi-platform saga of FFXIII was released at E3 . Though Square has done this before - heralding scans and tidbits for FF 9 , 10 and 11 right after the release of volume VIII - the platform-jump to the PS3 gave consumers a taste of what's next , while what's available ( aka FFXII ) still waited in the wings . So . . . a controversial development coupled with lengthy delays ; the advent of a new series on the horizon ; the grumbles and mutters that emerged when a demo disc was released - Final Fantasy XII arrived on the scene with enormous expectations ever-endemic to the flagship name . Did it succeed ? Well , both yes and no : THE GOOD : VISUALS : Square has always lavished great detail on graphics , particularly the FMV sequences , and it's easy to say that FFXII is the best looking game of the series . Environments sprawl from lush jungles to stormy mountains , and the flexible camera - a much needed implementation - is fluid as you hoof it between cities , deserts and long lost temples . The FMVs continue Square's cutting-edge CGI-cinematic tradition , though I found that , despite the airships wizzing about and ` plosions a-plenty , the characters lacked the textural depth of FFX's characters . Thankfully the ` stage representation ' - i.e . , the various forms in which your character will appear - were consistent between battle / cutscene . SOUND : Hitoshi Sakimoto took over composing duties from Nobuo Uematsu for installment twelve . More grumbles emerged from within the fanboy community - Uematsu was one of the principle pillars of Final Fantasy ; Sakimoto was derided in turn . And yet , although FFXII does lack Uematsu's eclecticism and theme-focus , the music as a whole works well for the game : Sakimoto has a real ear for ambience and much of the soundtrack contains superb orchestral work . Voice acting is top-notch and consistent . Uematsu does contribute one song ( aside from reworked themes ) , a bit of J-pop fluff for the ending sequence that utterly pales before FFX's ` Suteki da Ne . ' GAMEPLAY : Upon release of the demo , traditionalists ( i.e . those that started FF on the NES and Super NES ) bleated angst at the ditching of turn-based battles for the ` gambit system ' , wherein one assigns commands for characters and gameplay generally consists of allowing gambits to work efficiency with occasional strategic input ( ie casting ` Curaga ' on a near-death ally ) . For me , who has played all but two of the series , the gambit system is a revelation : it cuts down on the tedium of level-grinding , which this game does demand . Amusingly enough , using the toggle-stick to position the camera for stylish visual angles tends to supercede pressing ` X ' for many instances of combat ! Unfortunately , the most effective way to succeed at the game is in melee . Not only does this lessen one's desire to use MP-draining summons and black magic , most of the better spells in the game cannot be acquired until the last 20% of the main story . And with melee being faster and more deadly overall , FFXII generally boils down to a hack-n ' - slash - but , at least , it's a dynamic hack n ' slash . STORY : Well , it does have politics , and a fairly appealing cast ( muted somewhat in comparison to FFX's vibrant lot ) , a villain one loves to hate , a vast world . And yet . . . THE BAD : STORY : FFXII is a frustrating experience in that , although one can sense the presence of a masterpiece in the wings , the story drops off about halfway through the game , with the last 20 - 30 hours reduced to a series of fetch-quests followed by cut-scenes . Unfortunately most of those hours are going to be in environment trekking and dungeon crawling ; the cut scenes are well done but far too sparse . Character development fades and even character relationships become rather nebulous . Liked those one-liners Balthier spouts at the beginning of the game ? Enjoy ` em , because they'll appear less and less as you go on . The real problem is that FFXII was originally intended to be a 20 - 25 hour game , story-wise , but as time went on more and more was added to the world building with very little sketched into the original story development . Racial disharmony is mentioned in a couple places near the beginning , then disappears completely . In truth we'll probably never know exactly how Mitsuno's departure effected the game's development , but there is a certain point where one can tangibly feel the narrative begin to slip away . Overall : FFXII does manage to captivate for most of its length , but the sheer length , fragmented / incomplete storytelling and level-grinding requirements ( no New Game Plus ) dampers replayability . 4 / 5
• 028 4  Ah , another FF ! It's been nearly ten years from when the seventh volume of the Final Fantasy series was released on this side of the Atlantic to great fanfare and unprecedented sales , and around two decades from the original release of the first 8 - bit game . In that time the series has evolved above and beyond most other video game franchises to achieve the highwater mark of both acknowledged craft and big-number sales in the industry . Final Fantasy XII , latest entry of the franchise , is somewhat of a dark sheep however . Directed by Yasumi Matsuno of FF Tactics fame , the game promised to continue many longstanding traditions ( Chocobos , Mogs , summons et al . ) while radically overhauling the fundamental battle system . Whereas previous games had all contained a developed theme - isolation and love in FF8 ; a critical look at theism in FF10 - it was announced that the concept of race and Empires at war would be FF12 ' s primary focus . Yet something strange happened around 2003 - 2004 . Matsuno bowed out as director due to ` health issues ' , and whispers around the Square fanboy campfire ranged from the possibility of a nervous breakdown to a quiet , carefully orchestrated ouster of the veteran game developer by the top executives - Matsuno is notorious for perfectionism . After years of delay , FFXII debuted in Japan in the spring of 2006 , right around the time that the new promotional kits for the multi-platform saga of FFXIII was released at E3 . Though Square has done this before - heralding scans and tidbits for FF 9 , 10 and 11 right after the release of volume VIII - the platform-jump to the PS3 gave consumers a taste of what's next , while what's available ( aka FFXII ) still waited in the wings . So . . . a controversial development coupled with lengthy delays ; the advent of a new series on the horizon ; the grumbles and mutters that emerged when a demo disc was released - Final Fantasy XII arrived on the scene with enormous expectations ever-endemic to the flagship name . Did it succeed ? Well , both yes and no : THE GOOD : VISUALS : Square has always lavished great detail on graphics , particularly the FMV sequences , and it's easy to say that FFXII is the best looking game of the series . Environments sprawl from lush jungles to stormy mountains , and the flexible camera - a much needed implementation - is fluid as you hoof it between cities , deserts and long lost temples . The FMVs continue Square's cutting-edge CGI-cinematic tradition , though I found that , despite the airships wizzing about and ` plosions a-plenty , the characters lacked the textural depth of FFX's characters . Thankfully the ` stage representation ' - i.e . , the various forms in which your character will appear - were consistent between battle / cutscene . SOUND : Hitoshi Sakimoto took over composing duties from Nobuo Uematsu for installment twelve . More grumbles emerged from within the fanboy community - Uematsu was one of the principle pillars of Final Fantasy ; Sakimoto was derided in turn . And yet , although FFXII does lack Uematsu's eclecticism and theme-focus , the music as a whole works well for the game : Sakimoto has a real ear for ambience and much of the soundtrack contains superb orchestral work . Voice acting is top-notch and consistent . Uematsu does contribute one song ( aside from reworked themes ) , a bit of J-pop fluff for the ending sequence that utterly pales before FFX's ` Suteki da Ne . ' GAMEPLAY : Upon release of the demo , traditionalists ( i.e . those that started FF on the NES and Super NES ) bleated angst at the ditching of turn-based battles for the ` gambit system ' , wherein one assigns commands for characters and gameplay generally consists of allowing gambits to work efficiency with occasional strategic input ( ie casting ` Curaga ' on a near-death ally ) . For me , who has played all but two of the series , the gambit system is a revelation : it cuts down on the tedium of level-grinding , which this game does demand . Amusingly enough , using the toggle-stick to position the camera for stylish visual angles tends to supercede pressing ` X ' for many instances of combat ! Unfortunately , the most effective way to succeed at the game is in melee . Not only does this lessen one's desire to use MP-draining summons and black magic , most of the better spells in the game cannot be acquired until the last 20% of the main story . And with melee being faster and more deadly overall , FFXII generally boils down to a hack-n ' - slash - but , at least , it's a dynamic hack n ' slash . STORY : Well , it does have politics , and a fairly appealing cast ( muted somewhat in comparison to FFX's vibrant lot ) , a villain one loves to hate , a vast world . And yet . . . THE BAD : STORY : FFXII is a frustrating experience in that , although one can sense the presence of a masterpiece in the wings , the story drops off about halfway through the game , with the last 20 - 30 hours reduced to a series of fetch-quests followed by cut-scenes . Unfortunately most of those hours are going to be in environment trekking and dungeon crawling ; the cut scenes are well done but far too sparse . Character development fades and even character relationships become rather nebulous . Liked those one-liners Balthier spouts at the beginning of the game ? Enjoy ` em , because they'll appear less and less as you go on . The real problem is that FFXII was originally intended to be a 20 - 25 hour game , story-wise , but as time went on more and more was added to the world building with very little sketched into the original story development . Racial disharmony is mentioned in a couple places near the beginning , then disappears completely . In truth we'll probably never know exactly how Mitsuno's departure effected the game's development , but there is a certain point where one can tangibly feel the narrative begin to slip away . Overall : FFXII does manage to captivate for most of its length , but the sheer length , fragmented / incomplete storytelling and level-grinding requirements ( no New Game Plus ) dampers replayability . 4 / 5
• 030 4  I'll use the old cliche : RPG's have been hand in hand with Final Fantasy . In fact , there's even best-of lists devoted to non-Final Fantasy games . As such , it's hard to believe we haven't had a proper entry in the series since 2001 with Final Fantasy X . Yeah we had the online XI but really , who actually can afford all those fees and everything just to play the game ? The twelth game in the series had a frustratingly long gestation period with numerous delays , people walking out as well as doubts about whether the game would actually be good . Must be tough for those who doubted the game . I don't know whether people will regard this as one of the series best but as it stands , this is probably the best RPG available right now . Story : Taking place in the world of Ivalice , the Archadian Empire has taken over the kingdom of Dalmasca , placing it under their rule . The story centers around a group of people who are caught up in political intrigue and mystery as well as the protection of Princess Ashe , the heir to the throne . As for this story , you might not respond in the way you did to Cloud and Aeris or Locke and Celes but the characters are endearing and the plot is definately the maturest they've done since VIII but what hurts the story is development . You can tell the emphasis was on the story as opposed to the characters so while they all go on this mission , there's really no personal interest in each other as a group . I will say though that I quite like Ashe's character and Balthier is the kind of sly cool guy we all wish we could be . Graphics : When X came out , the graphics quite frankly stunned me . They still do . Here , they stun but the novelty as worn off since they're not new but boy do they impress . The demo and intro movie are just gorgeous and the in-game cinematics are handled well . This is also probably one of the most fully-realized worlds I've seen . Everything here looks like it has a story to tell or a history and it's very easy to get immersed in . My one knock is that on my widescreen TV , there's actually space that's not used since it's for subtitles and the like and let's face it , with a story like this , you kinda need subtitles . Sound / Music : Done now by Hitoshi Sakimoto of Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story , I find his music well composed and arranged and he's great at using an orchestra but his problem is melodies , or shall we say , lack of them . Revisiting the soundtrack independent of the game made me appreciate some tracks more ( the Esper Battle theme is power by definition really ) but some tracks go through a few changes that while fine in the game , they're so overwritten it hurts the replayability . As for the voice acting , it's hit and miss . Sure characters like Basch and Balthier and especially Ashe work though she sounds slightly older , but then we have whiny Vaan ( show you bad it is , Tidus to me outdoes this guy ) and Fran has the most peculiar accent . Ultimately though their voices don't take you out of the game , they're just not as well cast in certain roles . Gameplay : The straw that might break the camel's back for some people . It used to be that you'd roam the field and whoosh ! be met with battle music and the fight than a separate screen for your spoils such as EXP and Gil . Not here . The enemies appear on the field and you just walk right up to them and fight them right there . It's still ATB based so if you pick a command , a bar fills and once it fills , that command is issued . Exp and LP ( license points ) pop up above your enemy so you don't go to a separate screen . Only problem with this is that sometimes enemies overwhelm you and the EXP jumps rather considerably as you level up . In the first few enemy-infested levels you traverse , your requirements for levelling up can easily jump 300 exp and when each individual enemy has maybe 10 or so , that's a lot of fighting , and your Cure and whatnot don't come fast enough . The camera can cause problems , especially in dungeons where you went left instead of turning right . Like every single game since probably V , the game introduces a gameplay system on how to level and manage your characters . From the Materia system to Junctioning to the Sphere Grid , every game has had a different approach and it's the same thing here . The License board is essentially a re-worked Sphere Grid . Beating enemies in battle nets you License points which can be used to buy licenses , such as the ability to equip certain equipment or spells or enhancements such as increased potency of potions and spells or simply raising your strength and increasing your HP . However , just because you bought that license doesn't mean you can use it . Certain things like spells and skills have to be bought as well so buying the Cure license doesn't mean you can cast it , you have to buy it first . To be honest , this works better than X's system because unlike that system where you had to level up your health , strength , defense etc , individually , your traditional levelling up does it for you while the licenses are merely bonuses . However , there's no thieves / white mages-type thing here so you can actually make characters all equip bows if you wanted which takes away a bit of their uniqueness . The other addition is the Gambit system . Basically these are if commands which state that if a certain condition is there , an action is performed by your character . For example : if a character falls below a certain health percentage , your character or an ally will automatically perform Cure . If there's a fire-based enemy , you can have your ally automatically cast Blizzard . You can also set order preference so curing and health management take priority over attacking for example . Some say that it later makes the battles easier but personally it makes it funner and considering that they're all controllable , it's fun to not have to worry about them . Money has been changed as well . Enemies no longer carry vast amounts of Gil in their pocket , but instead they carry treasures . They can carry furs , stones and such and then those are sold in the market . Also you can take on various bounties where you hunt down a creature . It works in theory as well as just simple common sense ( how is it that a bat carries Gil and what for anyway ? ) , you don't get as much money as you should , especially considering you have to buy spells as well as techniques , weaponry , protective garments as well as supplies . As for the difficulty ? It can get quite hairy . One early boss encounter pitted me up against at least 6 enemies , 2 of which were the main enemies and boy did they pack a wallop , finished me in 2 minutes flat . Party management and levelling are a must if you're to survive . I don't think there even is a Final Fantasy that's absolutely perfect but it's probably still going to be one of the more impressive RPG's you've played and XII is no different .
• 031 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) What happened to Final Fantasy ? Since X , the results have been mediocre at best . XI is , by many FF fans , not even considered an FF game . Dirge of Cerberus was a decent idea gone wrong . X - 2 had some interesting battles but not the most enthralling story . Final Fantasy XII joins the list of Final Fantasy games I won't be playing again any time soon . Where to start . . . we'll go with the positives . The battle system is definitely new and , I'll admit , more fun than I imagined . Commanding your men or letting the Gambits take care of it based on the conditions you've set up - that's a nice twist . The graphics , understandably , are astounding . The license board is yet another unique way to grow and develop your characters . Sadly , that's just about it for good things . The music's alright , too , but definitely not up to par with Uematsu's . Now , the negatives . For one , the fighting . Although I said the system is cool , I'm also saying that there's WAY TOO MUCH OF IT . Why ? You have to spend hours upon hours grinding to gain the experience to beat a boss or the gil / loot to buy a new weapon or spell . And in these fights , some things are indeed a bit off from the rest of the Final Fantasy line . For instance , summons are just about useless in XII . They show up at your side , maybe get a few hits in , and die - killed too quickly to execute their strong attacks , and not even commanded by you . The quickenings are pretty , but being able to combo them gets boring ( seeing only 9 animations , if that , per combo ) and can make some of the boss fights too easy . Then , the other boss fights are ridiculously hard and serve no purpose but to annoy and aggravate you . Unless , of course , you've done your hours upon hours of grinding . The story is great . Great at being nonexistent . What do you do , and what do you learn ? You run back and forth across the world picking up items and questing , basically . Picking up items with no use except for the lackluster story . But yes , you do RUN across the world , because if you used the otherwise convenient teleportation crystals , you'd just be too weak to continue fighting the bosses . And you'd be too poor to buy any new items . What you learn . . . well , nothing about the characters , that's for sure . Just a few dead relatives and past deeds . The great story that the reviewers and people love to harp about is an old one of empires , war , politics , and princesses . Hardly a single twist on that . Here's how the game typically goes : 1 . Leave a place after being there half an hour . 2 . Walk and fight for hours , leveling up and getting loot and maybe buying some items along the way . 3 . Run into a boss and find out you haven't leveled up enough . 4 . Go fight and level up some more . 5 . Beat the boss and keep walking / fighting . 6 . Reach your DESTINATION ! ! ! ! 7 . Spend an hour to an hour and a half there watching some 2 - minute cut-scene for story , then some walking and / or puzzle-solving . Throw a boss fight or two in . Grab that quintessential item . 8 . Hit the road for more and more hours . You end up knowing nothing about the characters and nothing about the world . Honestly , what happened to the deep , immersive worlds ? What happened to Spira and Yevon , to Gaia and to The Planet in X , IX , and VII , respectively ? Ivalice , as portrayed in games like Tactics Advance , is a world that could be made into an amazing mixture of culture and beliefs , of interaction . But it's hardly developed at all . All of your party members are humes except for one , a Viera . No Bangaa , no Nu Mou , not even a Moogle , all of which are abundant in Ivalice . Your interaction with these other races ( or with just about any other characters ) ends , for the most part , when you first leave the big city . Compare this to the other big Final Fantasy hits . VII's cast includes a talking cat and a talking stuffed animal . IX has a rat , a mage , two summoners , and some . . . thing . . with a big tongue ( 3 Quina : D ) . FFX includes a giant blue creature and , although she's still human , a girl from an entirely different culture , that of the Al Bhed . When compared to other video games , Final Fantasy XII can , in some ways , shine . When compared to other Final Fantasy video games , however , it's a terrible step in the wrong direction , a direction which all of Square-Enix has been taking ( See Kingdom Hearts II ) . While the gameplay is up there , the stories - essential to any good RPG - lack in the worst possible ways . In essence , it's painfully obvious that this game is based too much on Final Fantasy XI . Not only is its battle system nearly identical ( some friends tell me it's completely identical ) , it's got the general lack of story you might expect from an online game . The linear kind of story that any Final Fantasy game must have . In short , it's an MMORPG without the MMO . If you like the gameplay , try XI , I guess . If you like Final Fantasy , you've played better . You know what you like , and this probably isn't it . If you haven't tried Final Fantasy , I'm telling you , introduce yourself to the series properly .
• 032 4  What happened to Final Fantasy ? Since X , the results have been mediocre at best . XI is , by many FF fans , not even considered an FF game . Dirge of Cerberus was a decent idea gone wrong . X - 2 had some interesting battles but not the most enthralling story . Final Fantasy XII joins the list of Final Fantasy games I won't be playing again any time soon . Where to start . . . we'll go with the positives . The battle system is definitely new and , I'll admit , more fun than I imagined . Commanding your men or letting the Gambits take care of it based on the conditions you've set up - that's a nice twist . The graphics , understandably , are astounding . The license board is yet another unique way to grow and develop your characters . Sadly , that's just about it for good things . The music's alright , too , but definitely not up to par with Uematsu's . Now , the negatives . For one , the fighting . Although I said the system is cool , I'm also saying that there's WAY TOO MUCH OF IT . Why ? You have to spend hours upon hours grinding to gain the experience to beat a boss or the gil / loot to buy a new weapon or spell . And in these fights , some things are indeed a bit off from the rest of the Final Fantasy line . For instance , summons are just about useless in XII . They show up at your side , maybe get a few hits in , and die - killed too quickly to execute their strong attacks , and not even commanded by you . The quickenings are pretty , but being able to combo them gets boring ( seeing only 9 animations , if that , per combo ) and can make some of the boss fights too easy . Then , the other boss fights are ridiculously hard and serve no purpose but to annoy and aggravate you . Unless , of course , you've done your hours upon hours of grinding . The story is great . Great at being nonexistent . What do you do , and what do you learn ? You run back and forth across the world picking up items and questing , basically . Picking up items with no use except for the lackluster story . But yes , you do RUN across the world , because if you used the otherwise convenient teleportation crystals , you'd just be too weak to continue fighting the bosses . And you'd be too poor to buy any new items . What you learn . . . well , nothing about the characters , that's for sure . Just a few dead relatives and past deeds . The great story that the reviewers and people love to harp about is an old one of empires , war , politics , and princesses . Hardly a single twist on that . Here's how the game typically goes : 1 . Leave a place after being there half an hour . 2 . Walk and fight for hours , leveling up and getting loot and maybe buying some items along the way . 3 . Run into a boss and find out you haven't leveled up enough . 4 . Go fight and level up some more . 5 . Beat the boss and keep walking / fighting . 6 . Reach your DESTINATION ! ! ! ! 7 . Spend an hour to an hour and a half there watching some 2 - minute cut-scene for story , then some walking and / or puzzle-solving . Throw a boss fight or two in . Grab that quintessential item . 8 . Hit the road for more and more hours . You end up knowing nothing about the characters and nothing about the world . Honestly , what happened to the deep , immersive worlds ? What happened to Spira and Yevon , to Gaia and to The Planet in X , IX , and VII , respectively ? Ivalice , as portrayed in games like Tactics Advance , is a world that could be made into an amazing mixture of culture and beliefs , of interaction . But it's hardly developed at all . All of your party members are humes except for one , a Viera . No Bangaa , no Nu Mou , not even a Moogle , all of which are abundant in Ivalice . Your interaction with these other races ( or with just about any other characters ) ends , for the most part , when you first leave the big city . Compare this to the other big Final Fantasy hits . VII's cast includes a talking cat and a talking stuffed animal . IX has a rat , a mage , two summoners , and some . . . thing . . with a big tongue ( 3 Quina : D ) . FFX includes a giant blue creature and , although she's still human , a girl from an entirely different culture , that of the Al Bhed . When compared to other video games , Final Fantasy XII can , in some ways , shine . When compared to other Final Fantasy video games , however , it's a terrible step in the wrong direction , a direction which all of Square-Enix has been taking ( See Kingdom Hearts II ) . While the gameplay is up there , the stories - essential to any good RPG - lack in the worst possible ways . In essence , it's painfully obvious that this game is based too much on Final Fantasy XI . Not only is its battle system nearly identical ( some friends tell me it's completely identical ) , it's got the general lack of story you might expect from an online game . The linear kind of story that any Final Fantasy game must have . In short , it's an MMORPG without the MMO . If you like the gameplay , try XI , I guess . If you like Final Fantasy , you've played better . You know what you like , and this probably isn't it . If you haven't tried Final Fantasy , I'm telling you , introduce yourself to the series properly .
• 033 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Ok , when I first the game I had very high expectations and after playing it for about 20 minutes I was kinda disappointed by the GAMEPLAY , the battle system was wierd and not that great but I was definitely amazed by the intro which was simply spectacular I kept playing in spite of my disappointment , till the point I got Balthier and Fran in my party and then things began to get better , the story finally picked up and cool things started happening and also the introduction of the Gambit System was wonderful but unfortunately due to the lack of Gambits at the beginning , it was underwhelmed Ok , the Gambit System is very unique and it allows you to set your characters ' commands and actions cleverly and it never gets annoying and it also adds a lot of strategy to the game as well since choosing Gambits needs a lot of care and thinking The graphics are simply amazing , the PS2 is dying but this game just gives it life once again . . . the FMVs are spectacular and the in-game graphics are improved upon the graphics of FFX which were already perfect , and dungeons are wonderfully designed although they like variety of styles but none the-less-they still look good The game also has the License Board which is truly unique but doesn't have as much customization as previous systems but it's still good , the camera is fine but it has its flaws and the music is simply spectacular The story might be slow-paced at the beginning but when it picks up around an hour or two later it will become wonderful with all kinds of twists and turns everywhere and it's actually darker and more mature than any other FF storyline to date This game has numerous side quests available from the beginning of the game making it nonlinear , the side quests are awesome and there's a fine variety of them and they're actually too many and need numerous hours to be fully completed The difficulty is perfect , it's harder than any FF to date and also there are several other changes but originality is still there and it's still a Final Fantasy , in spite of the new battle system Overall , FFXII wasn't a disappointment after all , it was quite fun and I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed numerous other games so this is a must have for all RPG gamers
• 034 4  Ok , when I first the game I had very high expectations and after playing it for about 20 minutes I was kinda disappointed by the GAMEPLAY , the battle system was wierd and not that great but I was definitely amazed by the intro which was simply spectacular I kept playing in spite of my disappointment , till the point I got Balthier and Fran in my party and then things began to get better , the story finally picked up and cool things started happening and also the introduction of the Gambit System was wonderful but unfortunately due to the lack of Gambits at the beginning , it was underwhelmed Ok , the Gambit System is very unique and it allows you to set your characters ' commands and actions cleverly and it never gets annoying and it also adds a lot of strategy to the game as well since choosing Gambits needs a lot of care and thinking The graphics are simply amazing , the PS2 is dying but this game just gives it life once again . . . the FMVs are spectacular and the in-game graphics are improved upon the graphics of FFX which were already perfect , and dungeons are wonderfully designed although they like variety of styles but none the-less-they still look good The game also has the License Board which is truly unique but doesn't have as much customization as previous systems but it's still good , the camera is fine but it has its flaws and the music is simply spectacular The story might be slow-paced at the beginning but when it picks up around an hour or two later it will become wonderful with all kinds of twists and turns everywhere and it's actually darker and more mature than any other FF storyline to date This game has numerous side quests available from the beginning of the game making it nonlinear , the side quests are awesome and there's a fine variety of them and they're actually too many and need numerous hours to be fully completed The difficulty is perfect , it's harder than any FF to date and also there are several other changes but originality is still there and it's still a Final Fantasy , in spite of the new battle system Overall , FFXII wasn't a disappointment after all , it was quite fun and I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed numerous other games so this is a must have for all RPG gamers
• 035 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Where to start ? I'm rather disapointed with this game . At first this felt like a good game , but after playing it through , I've decided it's really rather mediocre and inferior to its predecessors . Graphics ( 9 / 10 ) : Excellent . The graphics are pleasing to the eye . The only negative in this department is that while the graphics are good , some of the landscapes were dull and boring . Imagine slogging through a desert wasteland full of dirt and sparse plants for a good long while . While there were some really interesting places to look at ( like the Forest where Viera live ) , other places were very large and boring . One of the most interesting places was outside Giruvegan ( the reflective fog effect was awesome ) . Music ( 7 / 10 ) : Well , the music wasn't so bad that it made my ears bleed , but neither can I remember any of the tunes . I'm not sure exactly what this implies for the music rating ; probably that the music is rather mediocre . Not really bad , not really outstanding either . Voice acting was good also , with the exception of a certain female lead who sighs alot in an irritating manner . Characters ( 5 / 10 ) : Yawn . Just the sheer boringness of these characters is mind-numbing . Vaan might as well have not even been there . Was he even the main character of this game ? It's just so hard to tell . He plays no major roles in the story really , other than to narrate . Penelo serves no purpose either . I find Ashe to be very unlikeable , which is too bad because the main story focuses on her a great deal . She sighs and wines alot , and I found it difficult to feel bad for her or want to help her regain her kingdom . Her personality just wasn't really endearing in any way . Basch is okay , but not really well developed . Fran has very little dialogue and little personality too . Balthier is really this game's saving grace . He is witty and humorous . If only the backstory between him and Fran had been explored at all . I kept waiting for interesting character development and backstories on these people , but it never really happened to the degree that was needed to make these people interesting . Story ( 7 / 10 ) : The story is rather lackluster . At times , it felt like a giant fetch-quest . My biggest complaint is the introduction of an extremely interesting plot twist involving some glowy spirit / god things that never went anywhere . I kept expecting more to happen involving these . But no , the game just ends without resolving much about them . I was so shocked when the game ended just like that . I kept thinking to myself shouldn't there be more here ? Battle System ( 8 / 10 ) : Unlike other reviewers , I didn't hate the battle system . I prefer the regular turn-based games more , but I adapted to the AI controlled team members . Basically , you control your characters with gambits , which are simple if-then type statements . For example , you could set up a hp 70% , then cast cure gambit , which makes the team member it's set on cast cure on anyone who's hp is below 70% of their total . So , it's pretty intuitive . The battle system is kind of fun , but also a bit hands-off , which made me a little sleepy after awhile . Overall , though , it was enjoyable . * * * * Gameplay ( 8 / 10 ) : The controls were not bad , the menu system wasn't to annoying . The only thing that keeps this from a perfect score was the fact that being chased down through extremely large environments by a pack of wolves while trying to desperately escape was not too fun . I'm not against having no random battles , it just would've been nice if they'd given you a better escape option . Maybe a run command that'd keep the enemies off your back for a little while . . . Another item to add under gameplay is the number of sidquests and minigames-which is excellent . I only wish there were more sidequests that didn't involve battling enemies . It gets tedious after awhile . Something nice like the Chocobo Hot & Cold game from FF9 or the card game of FF8 would've been nice here . Overall ( 7 / 10 ) : Note , this is not an average , it is my subjective score of this game . Overall , this isn't a terrible game , it's just not the best either . I would easily recommend FF7 , FF8 , FF9 , and FF10 over this game , as each of those is definitely better . However , if you've already played those and are looking for something new you could buy this game . It IS worth owning , but if you're fast at completing RPG's , you may want to rent this one instead . * * * * The battle section has been edited from it's previous state , since a commenter pointed out how harsh and unfair it was . I think the new battle section score is more fair now .
• 036 4  Where to start ? I'm rather disapointed with this game . At first this felt like a good game , but after playing it through , I've decided it's really rather mediocre and inferior to its predecessors . Graphics ( 9 / 10 ) : Excellent . The graphics are pleasing to the eye . The only negative in this department is that while the graphics are good , some of the landscapes were dull and boring . Imagine slogging through a desert wasteland full of dirt and sparse plants for a good long while . While there were some really interesting places to look at ( like the Forest where Viera live ) , other places were very large and boring . One of the most interesting places was outside Giruvegan ( the reflective fog effect was awesome ) . Music ( 7 / 10 ) : Well , the music wasn't so bad that it made my ears bleed , but neither can I remember any of the tunes . I'm not sure exactly what this implies for the music rating ; probably that the music is rather mediocre . Not really bad , not really outstanding either . Voice acting was good also , with the exception of a certain female lead who sighs alot in an irritating manner . Characters ( 5 / 10 ) : Yawn . Just the sheer boringness of these characters is mind-numbing . Vaan might as well have not even been there . Was he even the main character of this game ? It's just so hard to tell . He plays no major roles in the story really , other than to narrate . Penelo serves no purpose either . I find Ashe to be very unlikeable , which is too bad because the main story focuses on her a great deal . She sighs and wines alot , and I found it difficult to feel bad for her or want to help her regain her kingdom . Her personality just wasn't really endearing in any way . Basch is okay , but not really well developed . Fran has very little dialogue and little personality too . Balthier is really this game's saving grace . He is witty and humorous . If only the backstory between him and Fran had been explored at all . I kept waiting for interesting character development and backstories on these people , but it never really happened to the degree that was needed to make these people interesting . Story ( 7 / 10 ) : The story is rather lackluster . At times , it felt like a giant fetch-quest . My biggest complaint is the introduction of an extremely interesting plot twist involving some glowy spirit / god things that never went anywhere . I kept expecting more to happen involving these . But no , the game just ends without resolving much about them . I was so shocked when the game ended just like that . I kept thinking to myself shouldn't there be more here ? Battle System ( 8 / 10 ) : Unlike other reviewers , I didn't hate the battle system . I prefer the regular turn-based games more , but I adapted to the AI controlled team members . Basically , you control your characters with gambits , which are simple if-then type statements . For example , you could set up a hp 70% , then cast cure gambit , which makes the team member it's set on cast cure on anyone who's hp is below 70% of their total . So , it's pretty intuitive . The battle system is kind of fun , but also a bit hands-off , which made me a little sleepy after awhile . Overall , though , it was enjoyable . * * * * Gameplay ( 8 / 10 ) : The controls were not bad , the menu system wasn't to annoying . The only thing that keeps this from a perfect score was the fact that being chased down through extremely large environments by a pack of wolves while trying to desperately escape was not too fun . I'm not against having no random battles , it just would've been nice if they'd given you a better escape option . Maybe a run command that'd keep the enemies off your back for a little while . . . Another item to add under gameplay is the number of sidquests and minigames-which is excellent . I only wish there were more sidequests that didn't involve battling enemies . It gets tedious after awhile . Something nice like the Chocobo Hot & Cold game from FF9 or the card game of FF8 would've been nice here . Overall ( 7 / 10 ) : Note , this is not an average , it is my subjective score of this game . Overall , this isn't a terrible game , it's just not the best either . I would easily recommend FF7 , FF8 , FF9 , and FF10 over this game , as each of those is definitely better . However , if you've already played those and are looking for something new you could buy this game . It IS worth owning , but if you're fast at completing RPG's , you may want to rent this one instead . * * * * The battle section has been edited from it's previous state , since a commenter pointed out how harsh and unfair it was . I think the new battle section score is more fair now .
• 037 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I think the game is great except for one thing . I played Final Fantasy 7,8 and 9 several times all without the use of the book , And then played them again with it . I dont like the fact that the book for Final Fantasy XII is an absolute necessity , You cannot get the best weapon in the game if you open certain treasure chests all throughout this game . You cannot get certain places without a ridiculous labrinth of Go through the second tunnel , Then back out . . Through the first then loop around to the third then exit the area and do it all over again and the boss will appear Stuff like that is the norm for this game and it just gets redundant and silly . I dont like the marketing scheme at work here . The book should be optional not mandatory .
• 041 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I can't remember the last time I was so addicted to a single video game and quite frankly , at age 26 , I really didn't think I could get into one like I did when I was younger . That was until I purchased FFXII and fell in love with RPG's all over again . I have to say that if you just give the new battle system a chance you will REALLY love this game . There are so many areas and levels and secrets and side-quests . . . it's incredible ! And quite frankly , the battle system is just a different take on the original turn-style battle system . All they've done is make it more interactive , fast , and given you the option to automatically have a battle plan so you aren't having to repeat the same commands over and over . ( If you're having difficulty with the gambits maybe you need to go play something less challenging . ) I enjoyed FFX but I didn't like how little you could move across the board freely to explore new levels and areas . It was basically a single path that you had to take . And FFX - 2 was great but I think it was geared more towards marketing the title to a younger female population and sort of lost some of it's appeal . FFXII has finally done it . PS2 could not possibly have gone out with more style . Get this game , lose some sleep , call in sick , and you will thank me .
• 044 4  Final Fantasy XII is one of the most overrated and pointless PS2 games released this year . . . nay , this decade . The game itself revolves around 6 beautifully designed characters with brilliant voice acting and amazing background environments . The FM。's are also top rate especially in the first 5 - 10 minutes of the game . However , that's as good as the game gets . Don't expect anymore . And if you thought FFX was good , don't bother with this game because you will be sorely disappointed . Firstly , Square-Enix seems to think that FF fans are unlimited sources of income , so why not create a game that is so frustratingly difficult so that they can charge extra for the strategy guide . . . yeaaah what a brilliant marketing plan . because most of the eratic locations of optional spells , shops , keys etc . require either a friend who has helped develop the game , or some divination from God ( God being square-Enix of course ! ! ! ) . There are even invisible areas in the map that either require accessing every pixel on the map or sheer luck to find . And who can forget those cryptic messages from cryptic people about cryptic items . Think that they'd be worth going out of your way to obtain ? ? Think again . . You'll probably spend a further 4 hours of gameplay hunting down a treasure chest that holds 2 gil or a potion . As for the hunts , yeah great idea but just one problem , they're not worth the aneurysm you're going to develop as a result of how these bosses irritate you . Also , the potions and status recovery meds you use in one of these hunt battles , will far out-value the bounty you receive at the end of the hunt . But unfortunately that also means you won't gain access to great weapons , armour , magic etc . So you choose . . . aneurysm versus good items . . . . ? ? ? Now lets talk about those licenses . . . yes , the waste-of-time-board . Quite simply put , the license board is crap . You will spend hours trying to open up licenses across the board hoping that you'll find something remotely useful , but apart from a few augment licenses , you'll never find them . Why . . . Because square don't want you to be able to easily defeat optional espers and Rank 7 hunts of course . . . thats why ! ! Licenses such as Allow statuses to last longer are about as useful as coffee without water , because you only have a 2% chance of inflicting that status , before the enemy casts it back on you , in which case , it will have a 100% chance of success . And see those cool weapons that you unlock on the second half of the LB as well , well guess what . . . ? ? You won't see 70% of them unless you spend $250K on a ridiculous pot , that allows a 5% chance of enemies to drop another item of which you need 99 of , to create a semi-useful item , of which you need another 99 of to create a useful item . Either that , or you will have to locate an extremely rare monster to steal an even more rare item . But most of the time , you'll only receive potion or a pebble , so unless you have a few decades free to roam about hoping that you can steal it or that enemies would drop it just because you spent $250K on that ridiculous pot , the licenses for those cool weapons are pointless . Thirdly , there is absolutely no chemistry between any of the characters except for Balthier and Fran and even then their relationship is not properly explored . The main character lacks any real personality and has no real point to following the group around apart from ` just wanting to see the world ' . The other main character Ashe , hardly talks at all and seems to disappear at times because she's so uninteresting . And then there are these other two people who are about as interesting as a frog and a fish . The ` bad guys ' are boring and the guest characters are more annoying than helpful , and many times had to be killed by one of my other characters , to avoid luring unwanted high level enemies and elementals into battles . Their undeveloped AI programming seems to compel them to engage in battles without any particular strategies in mind . As for the story , . . . . yeah well it was ok . I felt that the entire plot can be summarised in three sentences . But was dragged out by going through limitless dungeons and fighting crappy espers who seem to lose their bite after they join your party . All in all , I could not wait to finish this game because I wanted to shelve it as soon as possible and forget that this game even existed . I thought that FFX2 was bad but at least it had a great battle system and one that remained true to FF ( despite stupid main characters and an even more stupid storyline ) . But FFXII has deviated even further from what has made Final Fantasy a truly unique game series , by replacing fun turn-based game style with frustrating hack and slash pandemonium .
• 046 4  I bought the game the night of the release . I took it straight home and played it that very night like many of us did . Within the first 2 hours of playing I was hooked . Yes , like all new games , getting used to a new world , battle system , monsters , leveling systems and how to aquire items is always a challenge . But I think the developers saw the possibility of people becoming frustrated and they put items throughout the game to assist in leveling up , finding the way around , buying items , getting from pt . a to pt . b , ect . . . It is a huge , vast and enormous game , endless choices ! It is marvelous ! I love the concept of having to take back your pillaged items and selling them . To me that makes it seem more real to life . If I were to go out and kill a few birds , beasts , catch a few fish ect . . . I would not expect ever to find a shiny brass farthing on them . However I would expect to have to take what I could and sell it . That would be how I would make my living . The same concept exists here . I find the game to be beautiful , brilliant and hypnotic . I enjoy listening to all the characters voices , I enjoy the story line and I feel pulled into the world . I am now about 55 hours into the game and my opinion at 2.4 hours hasn't changed . If anything it has only deepened the conviction that I have that Squaresoft knew what it was doing and that they did a splendid job .
• 048 4  This game was such a disappointment . The FF series has always been a staple RPG to own with its high quality storytelling and engaging battle systems . Not every FF has met these quality standards ( I have played FF4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , and 10 ) , but XII fails so miserably . It truly is a game to be avoided despite the name attached . The gameplay : I actually like to play a game , not just set up gambits and have the computer play for me . For most battles , you can just leave the room and you'll still win . How exciting . It's a system that was a good idea but could've used a lot more tweaking . The license board was also a poorly executed idea . So all the characters can do all the same things ? Okay ! Summons were pointless and useless that take over your team members and die too quickly . The story / world : This is where the game absolutely falls apart . All the characters are flat and boring . Only one character actually has a reason to be in the group , and all the others just tag along for no reason at all or reasons that are shunted to the side quickly . The characters aren't developed either ; they have maybe one personality trait and that's it . The worst being Penelo . Why is she there ? What does she do ? How many lines does she get in the game besides the epilogue ? It seems she was just added to meet the 3 girls in the party thing Square has going . Everyone knows a good story is created by round characters , but unfortunately , its seems Square missed the memo . In fact , the most interesting characters are the villains ! The plot all happens away from you . So while you're wandering through some cave for some artifact , the plot and intrigue happens to other characters . Why they didn't make those characters the main ones , who knows ? The world was also a poorly developed world . There was no excitement going to a new city . No city evoked the power of Midgar , the coolness of going to the Moon , the creepiness of a ghost train , or the technological wonder of Esther . It was a boring world that didn't make me want to explore it . The Deadlands was the most interesting part , and it was optional and not developed like it should have , and not as creepy as it could've been . Graphics : Yes , the graphics were amazing . But I felt the FMVs were pointless . I can't recall a single FMV scene off the top of my head . I can certainly remember Aeris being stabbed , Rinoa in space , the water scene of X , but here , nothing . Maybe it's because there was no scene that provoked the feelings those others did . Sound : Unremarkable and not rememberable . Enough said . Oh , but I did actually enjoy the voice acting . I found each character's voice fit and was pretty spot on in emoting . In conclusion , rent this game first before buying . Others liked it , and so might you . I , however , felt Square has taken a big step back . I wish Square would concentrate on story again rather than on graphics . Graphics do not a great game make . Look at FFVII and VI , terrible ( nowadays ) graphics , but both are wonderful games that stand the test of time . If you are looking for an excellent RPG , then try Shadow Hearts : Covenant and Shadow Hearts . There are games with great characters , witty dialogue , and set during pre-WWI with a supernatural side .
• 049 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I remember when I first heard about Final Fantasy XII , a few months before it came out here . I was excited . Half the reason I got Dragon Quest VIII was to play the demo game of FF XII that came with it , infact the demo was the first thing I put in . I played it for five minutes and thought . . This game's gonna blow . So FF XII came out , I didn't get it . I ended up talking to my friend who said he didn't like the demo either , but liked the game . I wasn't playing any other game and had the money , so I went out and got it . I gave it 25 hours of play and stopped . I couldn't stand it . First off the battle system to me is the same as nails on a chalk board . Now , I like it that they use a different battle system , or change the way you level up and etc . Infact , I usually look forward to it and love even random battles . However in this one , it made them feel like a chore . I like real time battles , and I like turn-based . However this feels like they tried to mix them , and just went beyond messing up . I'd find myself running from battles so often , mostly ones I could handle , just because it was so dull . And thing that killed it more , I didn't just find myself not caring about the characters , I found myself hating almost all of them . I kept hoping Van would just die , honestly . The ones I didn't hate , I just didn't care about . And caring about the characters is half of a RPG . Overall , unless your just a completely rabid fan who doesn't care about battle systems or charcters , then get it . Unless you are and get it , enjoy wasting your time .
• 050 4  I remember when I first heard about Final Fantasy XII , a few months before it came out here . I was excited . Half the reason I got Dragon Quest VIII was to play the demo game of FF XII that came with it , infact the demo was the first thing I put in . I played it for five minutes and thought . . This game's gonna blow . So FF XII came out , I didn't get it . I ended up talking to my friend who said he didn't like the demo either , but liked the game . I wasn't playing any other game and had the money , so I went out and got it . I gave it 25 hours of play and stopped . I couldn't stand it . First off the battle system to me is the same as nails on a chalk board . Now , I like it that they use a different battle system , or change the way you level up and etc . Infact , I usually look forward to it and love even random battles . However in this one , it made them feel like a chore . I like real time battles , and I like turn-based . However this feels like they tried to mix them , and just went beyond messing up . I'd find myself running from battles so often , mostly ones I could handle , just because it was so dull . And thing that killed it more , I didn't just find myself not caring about the characters , I found myself hating almost all of them . I kept hoping Van would just die , honestly . The ones I didn't hate , I just didn't care about . And caring about the characters is half of a RPG . Overall , unless your just a completely rabid fan who doesn't care about battle systems or charcters , then get it . Unless you are and get it , enjoy wasting your time .
• 051 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I will keep it brief since I don't want to waste anymore time on this game . The story is boring whoever says otherwise is lying . It starts of good ( Empire vs . Empire , tradegy and all that ) , and it gets your attention . However , the story just dies from there.The story fails to keep you interested with all that political rabbling . The gameplay was interesting at first , but like the story , it gets dull . You run around for most of the game with a gambit system that requires very little action on your behalf . It is very easy to take advantage of the system and once you do it , it gets boring . Even if you don't it still is boring . Story and gameplay make a RPG , and Square Enix failed miserably . The scores would be lower if it did not have the Final Fantasy name . It is beautiful and nice to look at , but that does not make a RPG .
• 052 4  I will keep it brief since I don't want to waste anymore time on this game . The story is boring whoever says otherwise is lying . It starts of good ( Empire vs . Empire , tradegy and all that ) , and it gets your attention . However , the story just dies from there.The story fails to keep you interested with all that political rabbling . The gameplay was interesting at first , but like the story , it gets dull . You run around for most of the game with a gambit system that requires very little action on your behalf . It is very easy to take advantage of the system and once you do it , it gets boring . Even if you don't it still is boring . Story and gameplay make a RPG , and Square Enix failed miserably . The scores would be lower if it did not have the Final Fantasy name . It is beautiful and nice to look at , but that does not make a RPG .
• 055 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I am a huge final fantasy nut and have played them all extensively . This one manages to have a new feel too it while doing a great job at keeping the nostalgic final fantasy feel . What's new is there are no longer random encounters and no battle screen to load . Instead your characters walk around among visable enemies that you can fight . The battle system is a lot like XI but much faster paced . The character development is controled by a licence grid in which you use licence points you gain from enemies to unlock certain abilities . I like this system because you feel like your characters are continually developing , however it doesn't take long to cover the majority of the licence grid and all your charaters end up about the same . Gambits are a cool addition that allow you to essentially preprogram responces to different situations . The down side is at times you just walk around and let the game take care of everything for you , against harder enemies you will still have to be involved though . The game is good enough to make you want to keep playing and the music is good too . Overall I would say it is a great game and definitly worth playing esp . for fans of the series .
• 056 4  I am a huge final fantasy nut and have played them all extensively . This one manages to have a new feel too it while doing a great job at keeping the nostalgic final fantasy feel . What's new is there are no longer random encounters and no battle screen to load . Instead your characters walk around among visable enemies that you can fight . The battle system is a lot like XI but much faster paced . The character development is controled by a licence grid in which you use licence points you gain from enemies to unlock certain abilities . I like this system because you feel like your characters are continually developing , however it doesn't take long to cover the majority of the licence grid and all your charaters end up about the same . Gambits are a cool addition that allow you to essentially preprogram responces to different situations . The down side is at times you just walk around and let the game take care of everything for you , against harder enemies you will still have to be involved though . The game is good enough to make you want to keep playing and the music is good too . Overall I would say it is a great game and definitly worth playing esp . for fans of the series .
• 057 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII . After multiple delays , almost four years worth of them , the game is finally here . So , was it worth the wait ? In a word , no . In fact , I'm so let down by this game that I don't even know where to begin . . . but since this is a review , I suppose I have to start somewhere . I'll start with the good points of the game first . Graphics : 9 / 10 Visually , the game is very , very pretty . Spell effects are stunning , character models are detailed and nicely textured , the environments are expansive , and the FMV sequences display the high level of quality we've come to expect from SquareEnix . This is one of the prettiest games available for the PS2 , no doubt . Story : 8 / 10 The plot is deep and involved , as is to be expected . A sweeping story of war , betrayal , love , and honor awaits you throughout the game . Overall , a well thought out plot . Those that played Final Fantasy Tactics will feel right at home in the game's storyline . Music : 7 / 10 The soundtrack , composed by Final Fantasy Tactics ' Hitoshi Sakimoto , is varied and beautiful , but the lack of a Fanfare ( I've heard it ONCE in the game thus far ) or distinct battle musics really hurt the soundtrack experience . I've always judged Final Fantasy soundtracks by 4 tracks , those being the game's overworld music , battle themes , Fanfare and final boss music . What I've heard thus far has been good , but I cannot give the music a higher score due to the disappointing lack of several staples of Final Fantasy music . Voice : 4 / 10 The English voice acting is competent , except for Ashe , who's voice is very flat and has stilted delivery . She's still better than Penelo , however . She sounds horrible . The other voices are adequate but forgettable , and ultimately the fake sounding accents drag the aural experience down . A Japanese voice option would have been much appreciated . Gameplay : 1 / 10 Ah , and now we get to the part of the game where it manages to fail , spectacularly so , on every level : the gameplay . The battle system is the heart and soul of a Final Fantasy game . It's the part of the game you get most intimate with , discovering tricks and techniques , and testing your wits against the monsters and enemies of the game . However , with Final Fantasy XII's battle system , none of this is necessary . They've removed that annoying and tedious playing portion of the game and replaced it with an auto-pilot . You select Fight once , and if left to his own devices , your character will simply keep fighting until you tell him different . You can interrupt the character and give them new orders , but if left to their own devices they revert back to Attack by default , leading to many wasted turns . Ah , but it gets worse later , with the Gambit system . The Gambit system is a method by which you give up control of the game and become merely an observer . You program Gambits for your characters , which are basically AI commands so they can play themselves , without any of that pesky actually playing getting in the way . You can set up complex instruction sets for your characters , telling them how to react to all manner of different situations and attacks , so that you don't have to do it yourself . Some people say that the Gambit system removes the tedious selecting attack over and over parts . While this may be true to some extent , at least selecting Attack is doing SOMETHING to interact with the game , and personally I find just watching the battles far more boring . It is possible to not use Gambits at all , however . You can instead opt to manually input commands through the entire game , except the game punishes you for doing so . See , the battles are played out in a very Final Fantasy XI-esque psuedo-MMO style , meaning they're basically real time . So , of course , manually selecting commands for your characters will more than likely get you killed . Even selecting Wait for the battles doesn't really help matters . If there are more than 2 enemies and 3 party members in a battle , it descends into chaos , becoming impossible to tell what's going on even if you selected the actions yourself . I have the game set to Wait , with the battle speed set to Slow , and the fights are still utter confusion most of the time . The interface is also clunky and awkward to use . The License system further complicates matters . Take Magick , for example . Not only do you have to use LP to buy the ability to use the Magick , you have to use Gil to buy the Magick , as well . It's a lot like the Sphere Grid system from FFX , only not as well thought out or user-friendly . Overall , the game's good points cannot overcome the depressingly bad battle system , which plays like a bizarre hybrid of an MMORPG and a computer programming tutorial . They tried to combine MMO and Final Fantasy gameplay , and ended up with something far less than the sum of it's parts . Overall score : 1 / 10 I'd like to give it more , based on the graphics and music , but the gameplay is so atrocious that I cannot in good conscience recommend the game to anyone . I realize I'm going to be in the minority on this , however , but no amount of people insisting this game is good will contradict the evidence right there on my TV screen .
• 058 4  Final Fantasy XII . After multiple delays , almost four years worth of them , the game is finally here . So , was it worth the wait ? In a word , no . In fact , I'm so let down by this game that I don't even know where to begin . . . but since this is a review , I suppose I have to start somewhere . I'll start with the good points of the game first . Graphics : 9 / 10 Visually , the game is very , very pretty . Spell effects are stunning , character models are detailed and nicely textured , the environments are expansive , and the FMV sequences display the high level of quality we've come to expect from SquareEnix . This is one of the prettiest games available for the PS2 , no doubt . Story : 8 / 10 The plot is deep and involved , as is to be expected . A sweeping story of war , betrayal , love , and honor awaits you throughout the game . Overall , a well thought out plot . Those that played Final Fantasy Tactics will feel right at home in the game's storyline . Music : 7 / 10 The soundtrack , composed by Final Fantasy Tactics ' Hitoshi Sakimoto , is varied and beautiful , but the lack of a Fanfare ( I've heard it ONCE in the game thus far ) or distinct battle musics really hurt the soundtrack experience . I've always judged Final Fantasy soundtracks by 4 tracks , those being the game's overworld music , battle themes , Fanfare and final boss music . What I've heard thus far has been good , but I cannot give the music a higher score due to the disappointing lack of several staples of Final Fantasy music . Voice : 4 / 10 The English voice acting is competent , except for Ashe , who's voice is very flat and has stilted delivery . She's still better than Penelo , however . She sounds horrible . The other voices are adequate but forgettable , and ultimately the fake sounding accents drag the aural experience down . A Japanese voice option would have been much appreciated . Gameplay : 1 / 10 Ah , and now we get to the part of the game where it manages to fail , spectacularly so , on every level : the gameplay . The battle system is the heart and soul of a Final Fantasy game . It's the part of the game you get most intimate with , discovering tricks and techniques , and testing your wits against the monsters and enemies of the game . However , with Final Fantasy XII's battle system , none of this is necessary . They've removed that annoying and tedious playing portion of the game and replaced it with an auto-pilot . You select Fight once , and if left to his own devices , your character will simply keep fighting until you tell him different . You can interrupt the character and give them new orders , but if left to their own devices they revert back to Attack by default , leading to many wasted turns . Ah , but it gets worse later , with the Gambit system . The Gambit system is a method by which you give up control of the game and become merely an observer . You program Gambits for your characters , which are basically AI commands so they can play themselves , without any of that pesky actually playing getting in the way . You can set up complex instruction sets for your characters , telling them how to react to all manner of different situations and attacks , so that you don't have to do it yourself . Some people say that the Gambit system removes the tedious selecting attack over and over parts . While this may be true to some extent , at least selecting Attack is doing SOMETHING to interact with the game , and personally I find just watching the battles far more boring . It is possible to not use Gambits at all , however . You can instead opt to manually input commands through the entire game , except the game punishes you for doing so . See , the battles are played out in a very Final Fantasy XI-esque psuedo-MMO style , meaning they're basically real time . So , of course , manually selecting commands for your characters will more than likely get you killed . Even selecting Wait for the battles doesn't really help matters . If there are more than 2 enemies and 3 party members in a battle , it descends into chaos , becoming impossible to tell what's going on even if you selected the actions yourself . I have the game set to Wait , with the battle speed set to Slow , and the fights are still utter confusion most of the time . The interface is also clunky and awkward to use . The License system further complicates matters . Take Magick , for example . Not only do you have to use LP to buy the ability to use the Magick , you have to use Gil to buy the Magick , as well . It's a lot like the Sphere Grid system from FFX , only not as well thought out or user-friendly . Overall , the game's good points cannot overcome the depressingly bad battle system , which plays like a bizarre hybrid of an MMORPG and a computer programming tutorial . They tried to combine MMO and Final Fantasy gameplay , and ended up with something far less than the sum of it's parts . Overall score : 1 / 10 I'd like to give it more , based on the graphics and music , but the gameplay is so atrocious that I cannot in good conscience recommend the game to anyone . I realize I'm going to be in the minority on this , however , but no amount of people insisting this game is good will contradict the evidence right there on my TV screen .
• 059 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Quickie out of 5 Graphics - 5 Sound - 5 Gameplay - 4 Story - 5 Reviewers tilt - 5 Overall = 4.8 Like many of my other reviews I'll start with easy questions . Do you like RPGS ? If yes , buy this game . Do you not like RPGS ? If yes , buy it anyway . Where to start ? Obviously from the beginning of this review you know already how much I think of FFXII , its simply the best console rpg since FFX which is saying a lot considering that came out six years or so ago . SquareEnix has us in their love embrace once again ! Graphics - To die for , in game CG's approach a level of photorealism that would be reserved for high budget hollywood movies , you'll be amazed at all the action they jampack onto the screen at times . The in game graphics are also wonderful showcasing why we love the PS2 even to this day . In a personal note , my one of my favorite PS games was Vagrant Story by SquareSoft , some of the artists for FFXII are the same people and it definatly cares the feel in the look of the world , definatly more of a realistic feel over past cartoony type graphics . Sound - Finally a game that doesnt make you reach for the mute button . A lot of the songs are just basic backround FF type stuff , but at least it wont drive you bonkers , some of the new music is actually quite catchy , and we should salute SquareEnix for sparing no expense , Voice-acting is for the most part grammy award winning , there are still spots of slightly poor translations or lack luster dialog but overall its tremendusly good . Gameplay - In a bold move , FFXII plays out almost like an MMORPG all battles are done with the in game graphics and no transitional screen , almost all baddies can be seen on the map and avoided if your quick enough , the exception to the previous is boss battles but thats understandable and the camera theatrics during those battles just makes you appreciate the fight that much more . I personally recommend cranking up the Battle Speed to full , and I actually wish it could go even a little faster , but this really gives the game a near real time strategy / action rpg feel . . . while still retaining everything we love about turn based systems . In another interesting move the way your characters learn to use equipment or abilities has completly changed . Each character has two checkardboard type maps one for accesories / magic / techniks / stat boosts , and one for weapons / shields / armors . As you kill each monster you get xp which of course increases your level but you also get a small amount of LP or licence points ( each spot on the board is a licence ) you spend these points unlocking spots on the board , once you aquire one all adacent spots ( not diagonal ) unlock so you can next aquire those . In sort of both a benefit and a hinderence all characters start in almost the same place , so its up to you to groom each character as you see fit , and theres no automatic system . So if you create a cast of diverse characters , or a group of like minded dagger wielders . . . its all up to you . As an example I imediatly knew I wanted my main character to wear heavy armor , and use guns . After a little experimentation I found the Gun I skill on the weapons board , and Heavy Armor I , bam I was off to the store to buy some heavy armor and a gun , just like that . Actually fighting is also somewhat like an MMORPG in the fact that you can move freely around in combat , you have to be inrange for attacks or spells or abilities and the game does a good job telling if you are with a little arrow pointing to your target changing color when in range or not , theres also target lines , blue for your allies to their targets , and red for enemies to your party leader . . . I found those lines not to exciting and a little distracting , luckly they can be turned off and you still have the nice arrow aswell as you can tell whos targeted by the color of their name . You can flee but its tough as you really just have to run away , and your enemy chases you a bit nipping at your heals ( watchout if they cast magic or have bows or guns . . ouch . ) also MMORPG style . Also theres an interesting system for commanding other party members , sure you can still give them every command to do anything , but you can also find or buy Gambits , Gambits are like a list of priorities . I.E . 1 ) Any Ally 50% health , cast cure . 2 ) Enemy targeting leader , Attack . With those gambits a non controlled character would prioritize healing first , then fighting whatever is attacking the party leader . Thats just the tip of the iceberg on that . I could talk for another page or so about the story line , but trust me its wonderful and engrossing , I wish Square would get off the endrogny a little bit , and possibly have some older main characters but it doesnt really effect my love of the game at all . In conclusion this game has a lot of strengths in all the right places . Enough new bits and peices to keep you up late into the night , a good long game with lots of non-storyline things to do , amazing sound and graphics , I can only amagine the amount of year end awards this game will win . Truly another SquareEnix Masterpiece .
• 060 4  Quickie out of 5 Graphics - 5 Sound - 5 Gameplay - 4 Story - 5 Reviewers tilt - 5 Overall = 4.8 Like many of my other reviews I'll start with easy questions . Do you like RPGS ? If yes , buy this game . Do you not like RPGS ? If yes , buy it anyway . Where to start ? Obviously from the beginning of this review you know already how much I think of FFXII , its simply the best console rpg since FFX which is saying a lot considering that came out six years or so ago . SquareEnix has us in their love embrace once again ! Graphics - To die for , in game CG's approach a level of photorealism that would be reserved for high budget hollywood movies , you'll be amazed at all the action they jampack onto the screen at times . The in game graphics are also wonderful showcasing why we love the PS2 even to this day . In a personal note , my one of my favorite PS games was Vagrant Story by SquareSoft , some of the artists for FFXII are the same people and it definatly cares the feel in the look of the world , definatly more of a realistic feel over past cartoony type graphics . Sound - Finally a game that doesnt make you reach for the mute button . A lot of the songs are just basic backround FF type stuff , but at least it wont drive you bonkers , some of the new music is actually quite catchy , and we should salute SquareEnix for sparing no expense , Voice-acting is for the most part grammy award winning , there are still spots of slightly poor translations or lack luster dialog but overall its tremendusly good . Gameplay - In a bold move , FFXII plays out almost like an MMORPG all battles are done with the in game graphics and no transitional screen , almost all baddies can be seen on the map and avoided if your quick enough , the exception to the previous is boss battles but thats understandable and the camera theatrics during those battles just makes you appreciate the fight that much more . I personally recommend cranking up the Battle Speed to full , and I actually wish it could go even a little faster , but this really gives the game a near real time strategy / action rpg feel . . . while still retaining everything we love about turn based systems . In another interesting move the way your characters learn to use equipment or abilities has completly changed . Each character has two checkardboard type maps one for accesories / magic / techniks / stat boosts , and one for weapons / shields / armors . As you kill each monster you get xp which of course increases your level but you also get a small amount of LP or licence points ( each spot on the board is a licence ) you spend these points unlocking spots on the board , once you aquire one all adacent spots ( not diagonal ) unlock so you can next aquire those . In sort of both a benefit and a hinderence all characters start in almost the same place , so its up to you to groom each character as you see fit , and theres no automatic system . So if you create a cast of diverse characters , or a group of like minded dagger wielders . . . its all up to you . As an example I imediatly knew I wanted my main character to wear heavy armor , and use guns . After a little experimentation I found the Gun I skill on the weapons board , and Heavy Armor I , bam I was off to the store to buy some heavy armor and a gun , just like that . Actually fighting is also somewhat like an MMORPG in the fact that you can move freely around in combat , you have to be inrange for attacks or spells or abilities and the game does a good job telling if you are with a little arrow pointing to your target changing color when in range or not , theres also target lines , blue for your allies to their targets , and red for enemies to your party leader . . . I found those lines not to exciting and a little distracting , luckly they can be turned off and you still have the nice arrow aswell as you can tell whos targeted by the color of their name . You can flee but its tough as you really just have to run away , and your enemy chases you a bit nipping at your heals ( watchout if they cast magic or have bows or guns . . ouch . ) also MMORPG style . Also theres an interesting system for commanding other party members , sure you can still give them every command to do anything , but you can also find or buy Gambits , Gambits are like a list of priorities . I.E . 1 ) Any Ally 50% health , cast cure . 2 ) Enemy targeting leader , Attack . With those gambits a non controlled character would prioritize healing first , then fighting whatever is attacking the party leader . Thats just the tip of the iceberg on that . I could talk for another page or so about the story line , but trust me its wonderful and engrossing , I wish Square would get off the endrogny a little bit , and possibly have some older main characters but it doesnt really effect my love of the game at all . In conclusion this game has a lot of strengths in all the right places . Enough new bits and peices to keep you up late into the night , a good long game with lots of non-storyline things to do , amazing sound and graphics , I can only amagine the amount of year end awards this game will win . Truly another SquareEnix Masterpiece .
• 062 4  I must admit to being surprised by the number of high reviews this game has received . I found it terribly disappointing , although if you love online gaming then you will love this game . It is basically an online game packaged as an offline RPG . It removed all the good aspects of offline gaming and kept all the things that are annoying about online , just to get the worst of both in one neat bundle . I will mention the good things about this game . The graphics are spectacular and the new battle system is interesting in that it attempts ( with some success ) to satisfy both the players who loathe menu systems and those who loathe AI systems that have your fighters chasing butterfliers while your healers wade into the battle and get massacred . The thing which killed this game was the story , or rather the complete lack of one . I have heard the story line called epic and complicated . Uh , when ? The story line is very basic and has only one or two twists . Character development is pretty much non-existant . And yes , I have played the whole game . Take Penelo . Her character story can be summed up as Childhood friend of Vaan's who goes along because being left behind would be boring . That's it . The sad thing is , the story had potential if it had gotten developed . Instead of working on the story the designers spent ages coming up with tons of pointless , boring sidequests and this is said by a person who normally levels characters up to 99 and will spend hours chasing through a dungeon to get a slightly better weapon . In this game the sidequests got repetitive and didn't get you much . Hunts ? There are forty five or so and after the first ten it becomes tedious in the extreme . Status effects ? Learn to hate them because the ribbon accessory to block them is almost impossible to get . There is one in a chest that may or may not appear and which may or may not have a ribbon . I worked out the percentages and to get three ribbons you would , on average , have to reboot the system three hundred times . Wow , what fun . You can also try to get one as a drop from a rare creature that has a 1 in 256 chance of showing up after fulfilling certain conditions if that is a more appealing way to kill twenty hours or so . It's right up there with watching paint dry . As I said , it is basically an online game . I play RPG's for story and characters that you can at least be interested in , even if you don't like them . If you want story then don't bother with this game . Go play Xenogears or Xenosaga . Now those games had deep and complicated plots , not to mention character development . This game was just beautiful graphics around no substance .
• 063 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) First let me say that I am a big FF fan and my husband even bigger than I . He's played them all and knows all things FF . We are in agreement on our opinions of this one . The game overall was a fun 80 + hour with plenty of side quests . A great addition to the FF line . But there were certain aspects that could have been better . The story line was a bit lacking at times and hard to follow , not very in-depth . The characters were also sort of shallow and had virtually no connection to one another . Not like in FFVII or FFX . The license board was ok ( sphere grid in FFX was much better ) and it was also lacking . There should have been more spots for raising HP and MP , strength and things like that . Also at the end , all my characters had thousands of LP which seemed unnecessary . You should have to work for things . Same goes with the bosses . With the new gambit battle system ( which has its perks ) it seems to be pretty much hack and slash until they're dead . I didn't have much use for any spells and there was no real strategy to defeating bosses . I'd like to die a few times , get PO'ed and then win . The victory seems sweeter that way . The only way to get that with this game was to go into areas where monsters and optional bosses were twenty levels higher than your party . On to money . I liked how you acquired money in this one a lot . Again with the challenge as you had to work for it a little as opposed to getting money from mobs in the past and winding up with thousands early on in the game . If you equip the right items and gambits , you will still wind up with lots of loot to sell and way more money than you need in the end anyway . My final complaint : cut scenes . There were far too few where the characters looked real ( not sure the right term for this ) . In most of them they were just animated characters . Overall the graphics were good though . Oh wait , one more complaint . With the quickening system , I didn't have a lot of use for my espers . I rarely used them . And they weren't nearly as good as previous FF . I miss the old Ifrit , Bahumat and even Anime . PROS : - 80 + hours ( great length for RPG ) - Graphics - Free battle system - Acquiring money CONS : - Free battle system ( goes both ways I guess ) - License board - Story line and character development - Espers - Easy bosses I realize my opinions differ from others . So my best advice is . . . TRY IT FOR YOURSELF ! In any case , it's time well spent on a good RPG .
• 064 4  First let me say that I am a big FF fan and my husband even bigger than I . He's played them all and knows all things FF . We are in agreement on our opinions of this one . The game overall was a fun 80 + hour with plenty of side quests . A great addition to the FF line . But there were certain aspects that could have been better . The story line was a bit lacking at times and hard to follow , not very in-depth . The characters were also sort of shallow and had virtually no connection to one another . Not like in FFVII or FFX . The license board was ok ( sphere grid in FFX was much better ) and it was also lacking . There should have been more spots for raising HP and MP , strength and things like that . Also at the end , all my characters had thousands of LP which seemed unnecessary . You should have to work for things . Same goes with the bosses . With the new gambit battle system ( which has its perks ) it seems to be pretty much hack and slash until they're dead . I didn't have much use for any spells and there was no real strategy to defeating bosses . I'd like to die a few times , get PO'ed and then win . The victory seems sweeter that way . The only way to get that with this game was to go into areas where monsters and optional bosses were twenty levels higher than your party . On to money . I liked how you acquired money in this one a lot . Again with the challenge as you had to work for it a little as opposed to getting money from mobs in the past and winding up with thousands early on in the game . If you equip the right items and gambits , you will still wind up with lots of loot to sell and way more money than you need in the end anyway . My final complaint : cut scenes . There were far too few where the characters looked real ( not sure the right term for this ) . In most of them they were just animated characters . Overall the graphics were good though . Oh wait , one more complaint . With the quickening system , I didn't have a lot of use for my espers . I rarely used them . And they weren't nearly as good as previous FF . I miss the old Ifrit , Bahumat and even Anime . PROS : - 80 + hours ( great length for RPG ) - Graphics - Free battle system - Acquiring money CONS : - Free battle system ( goes both ways I guess ) - License board - Story line and character development - Espers - Easy bosses I realize my opinions differ from others . So my best advice is . . . TRY IT FOR YOURSELF ! In any case , it's time well spent on a good RPG .
• 065 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I must say , after hearing so many bad reviews about this game ( before it even came out of course ) i was tempted to not even buy it . Boy am i glad i changed my mind . The problem with people is that they want the SAME continuous thing in every game . They complain about the battle system because its not what they are used to . Get over it people , this battle system is simply awesome ! If you want the same battle system as FF7 and FF10 and FF9 . . . then hey . . go play those games again and again . Me , I prefer something new and unique with each FF game . Basically , don't listen to reveiws about the battle system , because its actually very fun and easy to get used to . Some people just cant accept changes . Dont let them ruin a beautiful experience like FINAL FANTASY XII . = )
• 066 4  I must say , after hearing so many bad reviews about this game ( before it even came out of course ) i was tempted to not even buy it . Boy am i glad i changed my mind . The problem with people is that they want the SAME continuous thing in every game . They complain about the battle system because its not what they are used to . Get over it people , this battle system is simply awesome ! If you want the same battle system as FF7 and FF10 and FF9 . . . then hey . . go play those games again and again . Me , I prefer something new and unique with each FF game . Basically , don't listen to reveiws about the battle system , because its actually very fun and easy to get used to . Some people just cant accept changes . Dont let them ruin a beautiful experience like FINAL FANTASY XII . = )
• 067 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) First the good , compared to the Metal Gear Solid series , the cut scenes of the game seemed quite nice and were evenly and well placed throughout the game . I actually liked them because after hours of combat it's nice to know that you actually have people involved in the game rather than a bunch of fighters hacking and slashing enemies for some unknown reason . Some people didn't like the combat system , but I actually think the combat system is brilliant , but annoying at times as you find you have to tweak your gambits in different situations , such as boss battles . I like how it seems to seamlessly integrate itself in the world , but there's too much combat too much of the time ! It was though the developers made a game to satisfy an RPG combat geek rather than the majority of the Final Fantasy market , who go for games like these because of the story . But in this day and age when you have great FPS shooters and much more involved games , turn-based RPG's seem dated , and I think this combat system is a very progressive system that keeps up with the times . Overall though , I hated the game because it was such a bloody grind . You had to work for everything inch and you spent so much of your time fighting you lose sight and interest in the story . I think the game's brilliant if you are into RPG combat systems , but the FF series are known for having captivating stories , and even after 40 hours into the game you still had no idea where the story was going and most of the time you don't really care . . . The game makes you work for everything ! Take leveling for example , the leveling I think is good and just going through the story and fighting regularly can make you have a sufficient level for most of the time , but for me the gripes are with the equipment and money . It is so hard to earn money in this game . You have to go through so many Monster Hunts and just random combat just to satisfactorily equip your party with current gear . Buying weapons , magicks , gambits , and technicks can very quickly dry up your funds . It's hard to buy just basic things . Oh , and want to equip that weapons ? Well it's not enough that you had to save up just to buy it , you have to have a license to equip it . I remember I spent so many points just LOOKING for where the license was for this one weapon I just wanted to cry . Buying technicks , buying magicks , and license points , it's just so much to keep track of that it makes the game no fun . This game takes itself way too seriously ! Last but not least , the game is boring ! ! ! There I said it ! you spend so much time just fighting enemies in these dungeons and vast plains that after a while you just wonder if this vague story with it's bland characters was all worth it . I won't spoil anything , but it's not worth it .
• 068 4  First the good , compared to the Metal Gear Solid series , the cut scenes of the game seemed quite nice and were evenly and well placed throughout the game . I actually liked them because after hours of combat it's nice to know that you actually have people involved in the game rather than a bunch of fighters hacking and slashing enemies for some unknown reason . Some people didn't like the combat system , but I actually think the combat system is brilliant , but annoying at times as you find you have to tweak your gambits in different situations , such as boss battles . I like how it seems to seamlessly integrate itself in the world , but there's too much combat too much of the time ! It was though the developers made a game to satisfy an RPG combat geek rather than the majority of the Final Fantasy market , who go for games like these because of the story . But in this day and age when you have great FPS shooters and much more involved games , turn-based RPG's seem dated , and I think this combat system is a very progressive system that keeps up with the times . Overall though , I hated the game because it was such a bloody grind . You had to work for everything inch and you spent so much of your time fighting you lose sight and interest in the story . I think the game's brilliant if you are into RPG combat systems , but the FF series are known for having captivating stories , and even after 40 hours into the game you still had no idea where the story was going and most of the time you don't really care . . . The game makes you work for everything ! Take leveling for example , the leveling I think is good and just going through the story and fighting regularly can make you have a sufficient level for most of the time , but for me the gripes are with the equipment and money . It is so hard to earn money in this game . You have to go through so many Monster Hunts and just random combat just to satisfactorily equip your party with current gear . Buying weapons , magicks , gambits , and technicks can very quickly dry up your funds . It's hard to buy just basic things . Oh , and want to equip that weapons ? Well it's not enough that you had to save up just to buy it , you have to have a license to equip it . I remember I spent so many points just LOOKING for where the license was for this one weapon I just wanted to cry . Buying technicks , buying magicks , and license points , it's just so much to keep track of that it makes the game no fun . This game takes itself way too seriously ! Last but not least , the game is boring ! ! ! There I said it ! you spend so much time just fighting enemies in these dungeons and vast plains that after a while you just wonder if this vague story with it's bland characters was all worth it . I won't spoil anything , but it's not worth it .
• 069 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII was a good game , and technically , it might have been the best of the series . However , the storytelling was lacking , unlike the brilliance woven in Final Fantasy X and VII . The player really can't empathize with any of the characters as none of them is given much depth . We are introduce to Vaan , the supposed main character , midway though the events in the story . His character is particularly underdeveloped and remains static . The player is thrust into the story after the empire attacks Dalmasca , his hometown , where his brother is killed in battle . Yet , the player is engaged only after these events transpire , and he remains the same for the entire duration of the game . It's like the writers did not have a clear vision of whom they wanted for the main character : Vaan or Princess Ashe . The character arcs are therefore muddied which detaches the player from both the storyline and the characters . In the introduction , Panelo's character shows sincere interest in Vaan and his well-being , but this is abandoned , only to resurface at the conclusion of the game . Alternatively , the battle system is faster and more improved , however , some of the sound effects ( such as the whoosh sound as you wait for your attack meter to fill up ) become annoying quickly . The developers also seemed to go great lengths to give a backstory to each of the monsters that you defeat , but I think these should have been integrated into the main plot a bit better . The conclusion also felt a bit rushed - so many different elements and factions are introduced in the introduction ( what happened to the citizens in LowTown , or in Arcadia , perhaps ? ) but are quickly forgotten and discarded . The narrator also became notably absent after the first few chapters of the game . It was as if the developers started with a great foundation but ran into time constraints and discarded many of the plot elements that could have made this game truly great . In conclusion , Final Fantasy XII is a great technical accomplishment as the graphics are the best in the series to date . However , the storyline suffered tremendously as the there is no clear lead character in the story for the player to attach to ; seemingly a bunch of characters thrown together with each having their own ulterior motives / purposes . There's simply too much going on in the game to allow the player to empathize with anything going on . It would have been much better had the developers given focus to a single character and made their story central to plot ( as in Tidus in FF X or Cloud in FF VII ) and built characters around them . In FF XII , however , it seems like a jumbled mess where graphics and combat received more emphasis than an effective storyline .
• 070 4  Final Fantasy XII was a good game , and technically , it might have been the best of the series . However , the storytelling was lacking , unlike the brilliance woven in Final Fantasy X and VII . The player really can't empathize with any of the characters as none of them is given much depth . We are introduce to Vaan , the supposed main character , midway though the events in the story . His character is particularly underdeveloped and remains static . The player is thrust into the story after the empire attacks Dalmasca , his hometown , where his brother is killed in battle . Yet , the player is engaged only after these events transpire , and he remains the same for the entire duration of the game . It's like the writers did not have a clear vision of whom they wanted for the main character : Vaan or Princess Ashe . The character arcs are therefore muddied which detaches the player from both the storyline and the characters . In the introduction , Panelo's character shows sincere interest in Vaan and his well-being , but this is abandoned , only to resurface at the conclusion of the game . Alternatively , the battle system is faster and more improved , however , some of the sound effects ( such as the whoosh sound as you wait for your attack meter to fill up ) become annoying quickly . The developers also seemed to go great lengths to give a backstory to each of the monsters that you defeat , but I think these should have been integrated into the main plot a bit better . The conclusion also felt a bit rushed - so many different elements and factions are introduced in the introduction ( what happened to the citizens in LowTown , or in Arcadia , perhaps ? ) but are quickly forgotten and discarded . The narrator also became notably absent after the first few chapters of the game . It was as if the developers started with a great foundation but ran into time constraints and discarded many of the plot elements that could have made this game truly great . In conclusion , Final Fantasy XII is a great technical accomplishment as the graphics are the best in the series to date . However , the storyline suffered tremendously as the there is no clear lead character in the story for the player to attach to ; seemingly a bunch of characters thrown together with each having their own ulterior motives / purposes . There's simply too much going on in the game to allow the player to empathize with anything going on . It would have been much better had the developers given focus to a single character and made their story central to plot ( as in Tidus in FF X or Cloud in FF VII ) and built characters around them . In FF XII , however , it seems like a jumbled mess where graphics and combat received more emphasis than an effective storyline .
• 071 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) For many of us , we here at Lunar Assignment were sad when we heard that the new Final Fantasy was going to exclude the normal FF style of combat , however we were greatly surprised at how good it was . 4 / 5 Combat-Setting Gambits for allies , with high and low priority choices met a new quality to the game . Real Time combat , the ability to move freely the License System , and Mist Abilities each added a new and greatly admired flare to each battle . 5 / 5 Voice Overs-Consistent Voice Actors and expressions made us feel as if we were in the game , the characters themselves were vary distinguishable and did not seem like clones of each other or characters from other various games . 4 / 5 Story Line-The story was pretty straight forward , as to be expected from a Final Fantasy , however the supposed main character , Vaan , seemed as if he was sitting back and going along for the ride , as opposed to having a huge impact on the story itself . 5 / 5 Music-The music matched each battle , and scene very well . The new and ' improved ' Final Fantasy victory music set a nice flash back to the older versions , though it was used a lot less then normal , which made it even more special . 5 / 5 Cut-Scenes-The highly done cut-scenes left us in aw , and each of us here at Lunar Assignment were amazed at the detail and amazing shine or dark glow of each one . The medium cut-scenes were also well done , though not as aw inspiring . 4.5 / 5 Land Detail-Most of each land zone you enter are very well detailed and look absolutely amazing , however once you reach the wastes it becomes obvious almost instantly that the designers did not spend as much time on this land zone , as well as others . The rocks seemed very very fake when compared to the other zones . Overall-Final Fantasy XII is a must have for any RPG or Final Fantasy fan , the surprises , laughably cliche twists ( There is only one or two , don't worry . ) , hunts , awards , and the beastery . As well as the realistic personal views of both citizens and guards around town are all all pull you deeper and deeper into the game , increasing its replay ability .
• 072 4  For many of us , we here at Lunar Assignment were sad when we heard that the new Final Fantasy was going to exclude the normal FF style of combat , however we were greatly surprised at how good it was . 4 / 5 Combat-Setting Gambits for allies , with high and low priority choices met a new quality to the game . Real Time combat , the ability to move freely the License System , and Mist Abilities each added a new and greatly admired flare to each battle . 5 / 5 Voice Overs-Consistent Voice Actors and expressions made us feel as if we were in the game , the characters themselves were vary distinguishable and did not seem like clones of each other or characters from other various games . 4 / 5 Story Line-The story was pretty straight forward , as to be expected from a Final Fantasy , however the supposed main character , Vaan , seemed as if he was sitting back and going along for the ride , as opposed to having a huge impact on the story itself . 5 / 5 Music-The music matched each battle , and scene very well . The new and ' improved ' Final Fantasy victory music set a nice flash back to the older versions , though it was used a lot less then normal , which made it even more special . 5 / 5 Cut-Scenes-The highly done cut-scenes left us in aw , and each of us here at Lunar Assignment were amazed at the detail and amazing shine or dark glow of each one . The medium cut-scenes were also well done , though not as aw inspiring . 4.5 / 5 Land Detail-Most of each land zone you enter are very well detailed and look absolutely amazing , however once you reach the wastes it becomes obvious almost instantly that the designers did not spend as much time on this land zone , as well as others . The rocks seemed very very fake when compared to the other zones . Overall-Final Fantasy XII is a must have for any RPG or Final Fantasy fan , the surprises , laughably cliche twists ( There is only one or two , don't worry . ) , hunts , awards , and the beastery . As well as the realistic personal views of both citizens and guards around town are all all pull you deeper and deeper into the game , increasing its replay ability .
• 076 4  OMG People ! ! ! ! Quit comparing this game to other Final Fantasy games ! ! ! The only other final fantasy game I have ever played was X , and I never finished it because of the last ( I think ) boss battle with Sin , and XII is head-over-heels better than X . I especially like the fact that the battles are not random . No longer do you take 3 steps and find yourself in a battle , and then take another 2 steps and you're in another battle ! The graphics are AMAZING , as is the story . Don't listen to the other reviewers who bad talk the characters . The characters were amazing also . I really liked Fran and Balthier . Vaan was forgettable as the main character , but all the rest were pretty good . All in all , if you look at this game separately , without comparing it to other Final Fantasy games , than you will see a solid , fun experience that will last a LONG time . I have already clocked in well over 120 hours !
• 077 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) To get the major positives aside first , this offering by the Final Fantasy franchise completely alters the battle system ( which is really the key feature of the game ) by making battles occur in real time . Not having random battles is a welcome addition , and I found the actual gameplay of this one as fresh as ATB was when FF IV was released . While each FF has been a treat to play , this is probably the most fun I've had actually playing one since FF VI and VII . It just seemed so much more action packed than any other one , and after the first few hours , the new battle system will suck you in . Now , my multi-layered gripe . . . Having played through each installment of the FF series , I've been privy to some of the greatest stories my generation has been offered . That said , when I play a FF game I expect a multi-faceted story with deep character development . Nearly every one has had its share of political intrigue and philosophical musing , and to a certain extent XII is no different . However , what becomes painfully clear only a few hours into the game ( and I'm making my best argument without offering spoilers , mind you ) is the so-called top billed character , Vaan - - yes , the one who offers the narrative and serves as the eyes and ears of the player - - is not really the main character . That role is filled by Ashe , a princess in exile . This does not seem like a major problem except for the fact that Vaan receives almost no development AT ALL . Whenever something major happens in the plot , Vaan literally stands to the side and observes while the other supporting characters do all the talking and make every decision . There were a couple major cutscenes that I can't recall if he even opened his mouth once . What kind of lead is that ? He honestly does NOTHING throughout the course of this game . In fact , most of the characters you recruit in the party receive little or no development , aside from Ashe and Balthier , and to a somewhat lesser extent Fran and Basche . That does little to change that fact that the MAIN CHARACTER HAS NO EFFECT ON THE EVENTS UNFOLDING THROUGHOUT YOUR ADVENTURE . Had Vaan not been present in the story , the events would still have played out as they had . Branching off from that , the story itself was unimpressive . Events kind-of happened , sometimes with little or no foreshadowing . The party makes its way across the world , fighting monsters and doing their own thing , while the villains go about their own objectives , and of course by the end there's a standoff . However , the events that the party goes through before had little consequence on what happens by that point . Only near the end of the game do they actually involve themselves in the actual story . It almost seemed like two separate tales woven into one , and by the conclusion they both come together somewhat conveniently . That said , I loved this game . LOL ! I found the main character to be the weakest of the entire series , while the story was underwhelming . However , the gameplay itself was a revelation of sorts , and made fighting monsters and leveling up fun again . Balthier pretty much steals the entire show - - I'm putting him up with the best characters the series has to offer . Again , I'm going to say that this game is definitely fun to play , but don't expect a story along the lines of IV , VI , or VII . . . most of the characters are one or two dimensional , and things just happen without warning . Still , the production values , amount of material within the game , the new battle system , and overall playability rank it as the best RPG PS2 has to offer . Yes , FF X was great too , but took linear to a whole new level .
• 078 4  To get the major positives aside first , this offering by the Final Fantasy franchise completely alters the battle system ( which is really the key feature of the game ) by making battles occur in real time . Not having random battles is a welcome addition , and I found the actual gameplay of this one as fresh as ATB was when FF IV was released . While each FF has been a treat to play , this is probably the most fun I've had actually playing one since FF VI and VII . It just seemed so much more action packed than any other one , and after the first few hours , the new battle system will suck you in . Now , my multi-layered gripe . . . Having played through each installment of the FF series , I've been privy to some of the greatest stories my generation has been offered . That said , when I play a FF game I expect a multi-faceted story with deep character development . Nearly every one has had its share of political intrigue and philosophical musing , and to a certain extent XII is no different . However , what becomes painfully clear only a few hours into the game ( and I'm making my best argument without offering spoilers , mind you ) is the so-called top billed character , Vaan - - yes , the one who offers the narrative and serves as the eyes and ears of the player - - is not really the main character . That role is filled by Ashe , a princess in exile . This does not seem like a major problem except for the fact that Vaan receives almost no development AT ALL . Whenever something major happens in the plot , Vaan literally stands to the side and observes while the other supporting characters do all the talking and make every decision . There were a couple major cutscenes that I can't recall if he even opened his mouth once . What kind of lead is that ? He honestly does NOTHING throughout the course of this game . In fact , most of the characters you recruit in the party receive little or no development , aside from Ashe and Balthier , and to a somewhat lesser extent Fran and Basche . That does little to change that fact that the MAIN CHARACTER HAS NO EFFECT ON THE EVENTS UNFOLDING THROUGHOUT YOUR ADVENTURE . Had Vaan not been present in the story , the events would still have played out as they had . Branching off from that , the story itself was unimpressive . Events kind-of happened , sometimes with little or no foreshadowing . The party makes its way across the world , fighting monsters and doing their own thing , while the villains go about their own objectives , and of course by the end there's a standoff . However , the events that the party goes through before had little consequence on what happens by that point . Only near the end of the game do they actually involve themselves in the actual story . It almost seemed like two separate tales woven into one , and by the conclusion they both come together somewhat conveniently . That said , I loved this game . LOL ! I found the main character to be the weakest of the entire series , while the story was underwhelming . However , the gameplay itself was a revelation of sorts , and made fighting monsters and leveling up fun again . Balthier pretty much steals the entire show - - I'm putting him up with the best characters the series has to offer . Again , I'm going to say that this game is definitely fun to play , but don't expect a story along the lines of IV , VI , or VII . . . most of the characters are one or two dimensional , and things just happen without warning . Still , the production values , amount of material within the game , the new battle system , and overall playability rank it as the best RPG PS2 has to offer . Yes , FF X was great too , but took linear to a whole new level .
• 079 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I've played every ( numbered ) FF game since FF VII and I can say XII is . . . again . . . the best yet . Gameplay-wise it's heaven . Mostly thanks to the new battle system finally without any random battles which is probably the best thing a new FF could come up with . I remember them being so frustrating in FFX , for example , that if it hadn't been for the wonderful story I would have been on the edge of quitting at some stages . In case Square decides to return to the battle arenas in the future , say with FFXIII , the best solution would be the Chrono Cross style , with seems to be the ideal cross between both systems and should please both camps of fans . But back to the 12th installment . I feel the story is sorely underrated by most players and reviewers . OK , you don't get an emotion-packed cutscene or FMV after every five minutes like before , but the plot is nothing short of spectacular , there's a great war going on , the future is in the hands of a few main heroes , even the Gods enter the story . . . c'mon , it's trademark Final Fantasy ! Even the characters are not as weak as some critics claim . It's true that Vaan and Penelo , who * should * be main characters were obviously added to the game last-minute and don't lead the story the way they should . On the other hand Basch , Ashe and perhaps Balthier and Larsa are very well developed characters you will surely adore and care about ( even more so towards the end of the game , believe me ) . And in case you'll ever find a particular part of the game weak story-wise , the gameplay itself will make up for that ( actually just like the previous installments but the other way round ) . As for music , it's a pity Nobou Uematsu has largely retired from writing for the series . Not that Hitoshi Sakimoto's music is bad , it actually fits the emotion , drama and action on-screen very well and has a great and very different symphonic touch to it , but there are no really memorable tunes we all know well from Uematsu-san . My favorite tunes are the Rabanastre Lowtown theme and of course the ending song Kiss me Good-bye sung by the wonderful , the beautiful , the invincible Angela Aki ( and written by no one else than Uematsu ) . So despite any criticism you might hear , it's a no-brainer . Unless you couldn't care less about Final Fantasy , you must play this game . Nitrus
• 080 4  I've played every ( numbered ) FF game since FF VII and I can say XII is . . . again . . . the best yet . Gameplay-wise it's heaven . Mostly thanks to the new battle system finally without any random battles which is probably the best thing a new FF could come up with . I remember them being so frustrating in FFX , for example , that if it hadn't been for the wonderful story I would have been on the edge of quitting at some stages . In case Square decides to return to the battle arenas in the future , say with FFXIII , the best solution would be the Chrono Cross style , with seems to be the ideal cross between both systems and should please both camps of fans . But back to the 12th installment . I feel the story is sorely underrated by most players and reviewers . OK , you don't get an emotion-packed cutscene or FMV after every five minutes like before , but the plot is nothing short of spectacular , there's a great war going on , the future is in the hands of a few main heroes , even the Gods enter the story . . . c'mon , it's trademark Final Fantasy ! Even the characters are not as weak as some critics claim . It's true that Vaan and Penelo , who * should * be main characters were obviously added to the game last-minute and don't lead the story the way they should . On the other hand Basch , Ashe and perhaps Balthier and Larsa are very well developed characters you will surely adore and care about ( even more so towards the end of the game , believe me ) . And in case you'll ever find a particular part of the game weak story-wise , the gameplay itself will make up for that ( actually just like the previous installments but the other way round ) . As for music , it's a pity Nobou Uematsu has largely retired from writing for the series . Not that Hitoshi Sakimoto's music is bad , it actually fits the emotion , drama and action on-screen very well and has a great and very different symphonic touch to it , but there are no really memorable tunes we all know well from Uematsu-san . My favorite tunes are the Rabanastre Lowtown theme and of course the ending song Kiss me Good-bye sung by the wonderful , the beautiful , the invincible Angela Aki ( and written by no one else than Uematsu ) . So despite any criticism you might hear , it's a no-brainer . Unless you couldn't care less about Final Fantasy , you must play this game . Nitrus
• 081 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Or somewhat of . It's like a mix btwn Secret Of Mana & traditional FF ATB battles ~ basically instead of doing the screen swish and going into a new battle screen , all the enemies are visible and you commence live ATB as you approach them ( Secret of mana was the first Squaresoft game I played that did that ) . Gamestyle-wise , it's more of a mix between FF Tactics and FF 3 , reason being 1st of all , like FF 3 , they refer to summon monsters as Espers and use words like magicite , not to mention moggles all over the place . Also like FF 3 , there really isn't a ' main ' character and any character can use any weapon ( which I really love ) . And I say FF Tactics , because of the whole ' Victorian Age ' mood that is set . This is literally a 21st century version of the old school Final Fantasies , and I'm only 49 hrs in & enjoying the hell out of it . Once you get into the story , I swear you'll feel like you're watching one of those 14th / 15th century ' Clash Of The Titans ' type movies . Great storyline ( which I will not spoil ) And please don't be foolish and listen to the people saying that the series is washed up and that Enix destroyed what squaresoft used to be , because if anything , Enix added some serious spice to squaresoft games and really hepled them evolve . However , the original creator of the series , Hironobu Sakaguchi resigned from Square in 2003 , so I don't think he had his hands in this one , nevertheless this is still an epic game . I've been playing the FF series for a very long time , so take it from a veteran , this is a top shelf RPG that you should already have . 1987 - 2006 and still going , no other RPG series comes close ( besides Casltevania of course ) . ALSO , I'm I the only person that thinks they should re-release Secret Of Mana the way they did Chrono Trigger ! ! ! ! ? ?
• 082 4  Or somewhat of . It's like a mix btwn Secret Of Mana & traditional FF ATB battles ~ basically instead of doing the screen swish and going into a new battle screen , all the enemies are visible and you commence live ATB as you approach them ( Secret of mana was the first Squaresoft game I played that did that ) . Gamestyle-wise , it's more of a mix between FF Tactics and FF 3 , reason being 1st of all , like FF 3 , they refer to summon monsters as Espers and use words like magicite , not to mention moggles all over the place . Also like FF 3 , there really isn't a ' main ' character and any character can use any weapon ( which I really love ) . And I say FF Tactics , because of the whole ' Victorian Age ' mood that is set . This is literally a 21st century version of the old school Final Fantasies , and I'm only 49 hrs in & enjoying the hell out of it . Once you get into the story , I swear you'll feel like you're watching one of those 14th / 15th century ' Clash Of The Titans ' type movies . Great storyline ( which I will not spoil ) And please don't be foolish and listen to the people saying that the series is washed up and that Enix destroyed what squaresoft used to be , because if anything , Enix added some serious spice to squaresoft games and really hepled them evolve . However , the original creator of the series , Hironobu Sakaguchi resigned from Square in 2003 , so I don't think he had his hands in this one , nevertheless this is still an epic game . I've been playing the FF series for a very long time , so take it from a veteran , this is a top shelf RPG that you should already have . 1987 - 2006 and still going , no other RPG series comes close ( besides Casltevania of course ) . ALSO , I'm I the only person that thinks they should re-release Secret Of Mana the way they did Chrono Trigger ! ! ! ! ? ?
• 083 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I also must admit , while I've already spent 120 hours on the game , it isn't a very rewarding experience . The story line is too serious and boring . Plus you forget all the characters and plot points after killing 50 marks and not getting anything worthwhile for your efforts . I don't appreciate finding the excalibur in a damn chest in the middle of nowhere , I would prefer to get it as a reward for defeating the swordsman or anything that put meaning to getting it . Another problem is the fact that all the characters end up the same once you have gotten enough lps . Thus the characters aren't individuals , which really hurts the whole rpg feel . My fran could be an archer , but she could also be a lancer , or a samurai at any given moment . And everyone has all the spells and all the techniks ! But I also must admit the gameplay is much better than FFX , Except the summons which are just weak ! Sure the game is linear , but at least the path is wide . I just wish these square games would give better rewards to people who put time into the games , just like in DQ8 when you find all the medalions and all you get is a lame mace and the king on the throne with words instead of getting a cutscene , or a truly useful weapon .
• 084 4  I also must admit , while I've already spent 120 hours on the game , it isn't a very rewarding experience . The story line is too serious and boring . Plus you forget all the characters and plot points after killing 50 marks and not getting anything worthwhile for your efforts . I don't appreciate finding the excalibur in a damn chest in the middle of nowhere , I would prefer to get it as a reward for defeating the swordsman or anything that put meaning to getting it . Another problem is the fact that all the characters end up the same once you have gotten enough lps . Thus the characters aren't individuals , which really hurts the whole rpg feel . My fran could be an archer , but she could also be a lancer , or a samurai at any given moment . And everyone has all the spells and all the techniks ! But I also must admit the gameplay is much better than FFX , Except the summons which are just weak ! Sure the game is linear , but at least the path is wide . I just wish these square games would give better rewards to people who put time into the games , just like in DQ8 when you find all the medalions and all you get is a lame mace and the king on the throne with words instead of getting a cutscene , or a truly useful weapon .
• 085 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII is a fun and intresting spin on the Final Fantasy series because of it's innovative style to the series . What makes each game intresting that by each installment , Squaresoft-Enix ups the bar by improving on the game system which includes innovating battle sequences , experience points , etc etc . FFXII does this a number ways for instance introducing a real-time battle system that also echoes a turn-based battle system . What some RPG games lack when they are real-time is you use one primary character through the battles . However , in FFXII , you are for the most time , forced to use every single character . Another example is the new Liscence Board which somewhat achoes the Sphere Grid in FFX but adds a new element to the way you mold your characters . My only dissapointment with the game is the characters themselves , while the storyline is absolutly excellent , do not seem to connect with eachother and as well as the gamer . You have Van = Pinelo , Ashe = Basche , and Balthier = Fran and , despite some sequences , they naturally stick in these cliques . However , the storyline is engrossing to the point of bewilderment . Overall , this is a entirely new Final Fantasy game which deserves to be recognized as one of the top Final Fantasy installments . It's innovative uniqueness to the FF franchise helps it stands out . As well , despite the fact the soundtrack was not composed by Nobuo Uemastu , it is extremely well done . I was utterly surprised . Oh and by the way , the voice acting in this game is much better then Final Fantasy X .
• 086 4  Final Fantasy XII is a fun and intresting spin on the Final Fantasy series because of it's innovative style to the series . What makes each game intresting that by each installment , Squaresoft-Enix ups the bar by improving on the game system which includes innovating battle sequences , experience points , etc etc . FFXII does this a number ways for instance introducing a real-time battle system that also echoes a turn-based battle system . What some RPG games lack when they are real-time is you use one primary character through the battles . However , in FFXII , you are for the most time , forced to use every single character . Another example is the new Liscence Board which somewhat achoes the Sphere Grid in FFX but adds a new element to the way you mold your characters . My only dissapointment with the game is the characters themselves , while the storyline is absolutly excellent , do not seem to connect with eachother and as well as the gamer . You have Van = Pinelo , Ashe = Basche , and Balthier = Fran and , despite some sequences , they naturally stick in these cliques . However , the storyline is engrossing to the point of bewilderment . Overall , this is a entirely new Final Fantasy game which deserves to be recognized as one of the top Final Fantasy installments . It's innovative uniqueness to the FF franchise helps it stands out . As well , despite the fact the soundtrack was not composed by Nobuo Uemastu , it is extremely well done . I was utterly surprised . Oh and by the way , the voice acting in this game is much better then Final Fantasy X .
• 087 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I am sure there will be thousands of reviews on this game so I will simply add my own brief opinion . Be prepared to get addicted to the game play . I am not a huge fan of the series , yet the graphics , gameplay and depth of this game has me playing for hours . If you are not familiar with the series , this game will stand alone and you won't be lost by the storyline . If you are familiar with the series then you probably don't need the reviews to know that you will love this game .
• 088 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I am sure there will be thousands of reviews on this game so I will simply add my own brief opinion . Be prepared to get addicted to the game play . I am not a huge fan of the series , yet the graphics , gameplay and depth of this game has me playing for hours . If you are not familiar with the series , this game will stand alone and you won't be lost by the storyline . If you are familiar with the series then you probably don't need the reviews to know that you will love this game .
• 091 4  FINAL FANTASY XII has a lot to live up to : not only is it the first real Final Fantasy since FINAL FANTASY X in 2002 , its release date was constantly pushed back and Internet hype had all the fanboys and girls humming with anticipation . Even though it lacks the flawless storytelling of its predecessor , I'm happy to say that it thoroughly lives up to those that came before it , if not being a step above . The story itself tries on an unprecedentedly mature backdrop - a peaceful kingdom caught between warring empires , with princesses , disgraced ex-soldiers , sky pirates and street urchins as your main cast . Finally your party is actually qualified ( well , most of them ) instead of your garden-variety ragtag group of heroes with a destiny . Most of the plot hangs on what seems like recycled junk - a power struggle over small stones containing lots of magical power - but is actually revealed to be a much deeper , complex story involving other fallen kingdoms , surprising familial connections between the goodies and the baddies , and a weird emphasis on politics that wasn't present in previous games . And Square once again cannot help itself from throwing in a last-minute Higher Power subplot to jostle what the player thinks he or she really knows . But after X's epic storyline , Square stopped and said to themselves , We really can't get more epic . Hey , how about the gameplay ? Thus the birth of the ADB ( Active Dimension Battle ) battle system . It looks confusing at first , and when you actually get your hands on a controller and try it out , you probably won't like it . But relax ! It's more similar to the turn-based days of yore than you'd think , only with all the improvements you've ever wanted and more . Battling becomes less of a chore ( the shattering glass ! the warp to a new battle screen ! the call-to-arms music ! ) and more in-your-face fun , and you can switch characters in and out on the fly , as well as their weapons and armor . You also have the ability to tinker with their gambits , which tell your characters what they should do using a list of prioritized actions . Say you're in battle with an enemy who is weak vs . the ice element . If you've set your gambit up right , your character will recognize that weakness and cast the ice spell of your choice against it . As your characters ' HP dwindles , one of them will cast Cura for the party - but only once someone's HP reaches the half mark , if that's the way you've set it up . Once you've set your gambits up to your liking you can sit back and actually leave the controller alone as you watch your characters do battle . ( I got up and made popcorn once . ) Of course you can always make your characters do different things by manually overriding the gambits , because Square wants to remind us the players are in charge , not the characters . With the License Board system , characters can trade LP acquired from battle for the ability to wield a Bloodsword , or for an extra gambit slot , or the ability to cast Cure ( which must be bought , as well , before your characters can use it ) . There is also a seemingly limitless amount of side quests and summons to acquire , meaning even after you've finished the main storyline , there remains hours of leveling up and exploring new dungeons . Maps are all linked together so that you can travel on foot from one end of the world to the other ( minus a few places only reachable by airship ) , from the hot and humid Dalmasca Estersand to the frigid , mountainous Paramina Rift . There are some drawbacks - dungeons are annoyingly huge , money is hard to come by , and leveling up is a tedious process until you get the EXP-doubling Embroidered Tippet - but they are mostly overshadowed . All in all , Ivalice is a fun and engaging world to lose yourself in , and FINAL FANTASY XII is a winner that will go down in the books as one of the top games in its famous family .
• 092 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Awesome . That one word sums up this game . I played the demo that came wtih Dragon Quest and didn't really like the battle system but now that I've actually played the game it is amazing . The battle system FFXII uses is the future of RPGs - - it incporporates real-time aspects and a turn-based foundation and it is incredibly smooth . I'm personally a turn-based supporter and I really love this new sysyem , it just works . The graphics are great for a PS2 game . I'm a recent convert to the XBox 360 , despite being a Sony fanboy for X years . I'm looking down on the PS3 because of the lack of decent games thus far ( look at IGN and all of the reviews for what's been released , everything has been getting really low scores ) , not to mention the money issue . The only reason I kept my PS2 was for this game . Now if only Microsoft could work out a contract with Square Enix and get FF for the 360 . . . . Heaven , my friends . Heaven . Anywho , the game is great , I highly recommend it . The storyline is awesome and isn't another person A falls in love with person B or save the world by stopping the giant monster . Instead the story is far more localized and therefore feels more personal - - destroy the oppressive empire . Great game , get it . After you beat it , trade in your PS2 and make the step to next-gen .
• 093 4  Awesome . That one word sums up this game . I played the demo that came wtih Dragon Quest and didn't really like the battle system but now that I've actually played the game it is amazing . The battle system FFXII uses is the future of RPGs - - it incporporates real-time aspects and a turn-based foundation and it is incredibly smooth . I'm personally a turn-based supporter and I really love this new sysyem , it just works . The graphics are great for a PS2 game . I'm a recent convert to the XBox 360 , despite being a Sony fanboy for X years . I'm looking down on the PS3 because of the lack of decent games thus far ( look at IGN and all of the reviews for what's been released , everything has been getting really low scores ) , not to mention the money issue . The only reason I kept my PS2 was for this game . Now if only Microsoft could work out a contract with Square Enix and get FF for the 360 . . . . Heaven , my friends . Heaven . Anywho , the game is great , I highly recommend it . The storyline is awesome and isn't another person A falls in love with person B or save the world by stopping the giant monster . Instead the story is far more localized and therefore feels more personal - - destroy the oppressive empire . Great game , get it . After you beat it , trade in your PS2 and make the step to next-gen .
• 094 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Let's just get it out of the way that I'm 17 and I'm just not signed up with Amazon . Now that we're passed that , I'll tell you about this game . If there is a word to describe this game , it is OVERHAUL . They took everything great about previous Final Fantasy games and either improved it or changed it in a way that it is something new and fresh . A lot of complaints have risen due to the dramatic change in the battle system . While maybe not better , it makes fighting a lot less monotonous and certainly isn't a downgrade compared to other battle systems . The story is quite epic , as well . It goes back to the roots with a more medievel theme , but retains some of the sci-fi feel of more current installments also . The graphics and sound , as with all FF games , are gorgeous . There isn't really anything I can say to emphasize how grand the atmosphere feels because of these two elements . The first game I bought for my PS2 was Final Fantasy VII , and until this came out it was easily ( in my mind ) the best Final Fantasy ever . I'm not sure if XII is better , but they both are at such a level of excellence that I won't even bother deciding a winner . With that said , as fine as X , X - 2 , and XI are , this is definitely the best Final Fantasy that you can get on the PS2 . If you want more of an expert opinion , Thierry Nguyen at Official Playstation Magazine gave it a 10 / 10 , citing it as the greatest Final Fantasy ever . Take it for what it's worth . Hopefully if you are thinking of buying this , my review influenced you positively . Don't be intimidated by all the new things in it , because it is one of the finest experiences I've had in gaming .
• 095 4  Let's just get it out of the way that I'm 17 and I'm just not signed up with Amazon . Now that we're passed that , I'll tell you about this game . If there is a word to describe this game , it is OVERHAUL . They took everything great about previous Final Fantasy games and either improved it or changed it in a way that it is something new and fresh . A lot of complaints have risen due to the dramatic change in the battle system . While maybe not better , it makes fighting a lot less monotonous and certainly isn't a downgrade compared to other battle systems . The story is quite epic , as well . It goes back to the roots with a more medievel theme , but retains some of the sci-fi feel of more current installments also . The graphics and sound , as with all FF games , are gorgeous . There isn't really anything I can say to emphasize how grand the atmosphere feels because of these two elements . The first game I bought for my PS2 was Final Fantasy VII , and until this came out it was easily ( in my mind ) the best Final Fantasy ever . I'm not sure if XII is better , but they both are at such a level of excellence that I won't even bother deciding a winner . With that said , as fine as X , X - 2 , and XI are , this is definitely the best Final Fantasy that you can get on the PS2 . If you want more of an expert opinion , Thierry Nguyen at Official Playstation Magazine gave it a 10 / 10 , citing it as the greatest Final Fantasy ever . Take it for what it's worth . Hopefully if you are thinking of buying this , my review influenced you positively . Don't be intimidated by all the new things in it , because it is one of the finest experiences I've had in gaming .
• 096 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I will try to keep this brief . . . by the way I'm only 10 hrs thru . . . only just got out of City #1 Rabernastre , Dalmasca and now in city #2 Bahjerba ( sp ? ) : Quickly , my first impressions of the game were strange . . . I was like MEH I dunno if I want to keep playing . . . but after maybe 20 min of getting of the ' wierdness ' it really sucks you in . Ughh I really wish I didn't have midterms coming up so I could go home and play ! Pros : - Love the battle system ! It's still strategy but it doesn't require you to have random battles . . . ughh I'd hate the whzzzhhh of the starting of random battles . . . I can still feel in control but doing less actual work . - Like everyone else says , CG always good . - Story . . . though not as much character development / focus as previous ones , I do like the whole war / polity centered plot . It does follow FFT's tradition . - I actually like the license board . . . some people have said it's a pain in the beginning , but so far it hasn't been the case for me . . . granted I did very early in the game decide to level up Vaan a bit ( ~ 40 min or so ) . You really just need to know to only use the board when you really need to . . . don't randomly buy spots on the board just as things become available as its difficult for one person to learn EVERYTHING . Plan , plan , plan . ( Right now by the way I'm constructing my chars in the way the game hints at . . . its only one way to do it , but first time around I'll follow it . . . the already licensed equipment / abilities hint at what they'll be good at . ) - HUGE game . Lots of stuff to see . . . and quite beautiful . - Character design . . . course there is always someone to love . . . ( Har har har . . . as a fangirl I must say I love Basch : D lol . . . tho I love the babyface of earlier FF characters I think Vaan is too babyfaced . He looks like a kid . - - haha I'm a college student and such a fangirl . . . haha . . . sad isn't it ? - - If I were a guy , I'd say I'd like Fran the most . . . this is of course subject to personal opinion . ) - I like subs and I like how they are not bland . . . they have fancy font this time : D . ( Kinda reminds me of Nochnoi Dozor . ) Makes the game really movie-ish . - Widescreen capability . . . ( Looks SWEET on my widescreen PC monitor . ) - Course everyone always talks about the realism of selling pelts and what not . . . I also like that . - Free-moving camera . . . Thank heaven for that . I LOVE it . I hated the still camera immensely in FFX . - Cute monsters . . . lol love the cactuar like monster and the rogue tomato ! - Also love how you can avoid some boss moves by skillfully moving around them . Cons : - HUGE game . . . ( yes also a con ) . . . lots of time running around . Good thing all the characters don't run as painstakingly slow as Tidus did in FFX . Meh . . . neutral : - Voices - I dunno what is up with people liking the previous FF's voice actors but anyhoo I thought this time there were better ones . The prev . FF's voice actors were okay but not great . Here the voice actors are really good , but the choice of some of them seems strange . . . like I have a problem with Fran's voice . . . it was a strange choice and a strange voice . Also Balthier's voice doesn't seem to go with his look , but I really do like the voice acting by itself . ( In sum , some voices , though really well acted , didn't seem to fit the actor's look . . . however , I do favor good actors with mismatched roles over okay actors with well-matched roles so I give the voice acting a mild thumbs up . ) After reading a review which mentioned mispronunciations , I feel I must also address that . . . As someone who speaks some French I did twitch when I heard Marquis pronounced both as Markus and Marquis rather than Markee . I also did twitch when they pronounced fete as feet rather than feh-t . - Soundtrack - I liked all the music ( there was a lot ) taken from FFT . . . esp the battle music in the Estersand , I think it is . . . totally taken from FFT ( obviously as both take place in the same world ) . . . I did enjoy the non-midi renditions of the themes . . . but the rest of the new guy's music was just ' meh ' . . . wasn't particularly bad , but it didn't really stand out much either .
• 097 4  I will try to keep this brief . . . by the way I'm only 10 hrs thru . . . only just got out of City #1 Rabernastre , Dalmasca and now in city #2 Bahjerba ( sp ? ) : Quickly , my first impressions of the game were strange . . . I was like MEH I dunno if I want to keep playing . . . but after maybe 20 min of getting of the ' wierdness ' it really sucks you in . Ughh I really wish I didn't have midterms coming up so I could go home and play ! Pros : - Love the battle system ! It's still strategy but it doesn't require you to have random battles . . . ughh I'd hate the whzzzhhh of the starting of random battles . . . I can still feel in control but doing less actual work . - Like everyone else says , CG always good . - Story . . . though not as much character development / focus as previous ones , I do like the whole war / polity centered plot . It does follow FFT's tradition . - I actually like the license board . . . some people have said it's a pain in the beginning , but so far it hasn't been the case for me . . . granted I did very early in the game decide to level up Vaan a bit ( ~ 40 min or so ) . You really just need to know to only use the board when you really need to . . . don't randomly buy spots on the board just as things become available as its difficult for one person to learn EVERYTHING . Plan , plan , plan . ( Right now by the way I'm constructing my chars in the way the game hints at . . . its only one way to do it , but first time around I'll follow it . . . the already licensed equipment / abilities hint at what they'll be good at . ) - HUGE game . Lots of stuff to see . . . and quite beautiful . - Character design . . . course there is always someone to love . . . ( Har har har . . . as a fangirl I must say I love Basch : D lol . . . tho I love the babyface of earlier FF characters I think Vaan is too babyfaced . He looks like a kid . - - haha I'm a college student and such a fangirl . . . haha . . . sad isn't it ? - - If I were a guy , I'd say I'd like Fran the most . . . this is of course subject to personal opinion . ) - I like subs and I like how they are not bland . . . they have fancy font this time : D . ( Kinda reminds me of Nochnoi Dozor . ) Makes the game really movie-ish . - Widescreen capability . . . ( Looks SWEET on my widescreen PC monitor . ) - Course everyone always talks about the realism of selling pelts and what not . . . I also like that . - Free-moving camera . . . Thank heaven for that . I LOVE it . I hated the still camera immensely in FFX . - Cute monsters . . . lol love the cactuar like monster and the rogue tomato ! - Also love how you can avoid some boss moves by skillfully moving around them . Cons : - HUGE game . . . ( yes also a con ) . . . lots of time running around . Good thing all the characters don't run as painstakingly slow as Tidus did in FFX . Meh . . . neutral : - Voices - I dunno what is up with people liking the previous FF's voice actors but anyhoo I thought this time there were better ones . The prev . FF's voice actors were okay but not great . Here the voice actors are really good , but the choice of some of them seems strange . . . like I have a problem with Fran's voice . . . it was a strange choice and a strange voice . Also Balthier's voice doesn't seem to go with his look , but I really do like the voice acting by itself . ( In sum , some voices , though really well acted , didn't seem to fit the actor's look . . . however , I do favor good actors with mismatched roles over okay actors with well-matched roles so I give the voice acting a mild thumbs up . ) After reading a review which mentioned mispronunciations , I feel I must also address that . . . As someone who speaks some French I did twitch when I heard Marquis pronounced both as Markus and Marquis rather than Markee . I also did twitch when they pronounced fete as feet rather than feh-t . - Soundtrack - I liked all the music ( there was a lot ) taken from FFT . . . esp the battle music in the Estersand , I think it is . . . totally taken from FFT ( obviously as both take place in the same world ) . . . I did enjoy the non-midi renditions of the themes . . . but the rest of the new guy's music was just ' meh ' . . . wasn't particularly bad , but it didn't really stand out much either .
• 098 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I'm about 20 hours into the game , and I'm guessing about 20% through the story , and I think I'm ready to give my thoughts so far . The game is really fun , and I LOVE the battle system . So many RPG's are bogged down by slow load times at the beginning of battle and completion screens at the end . So I love that in this game , these things don't exist . I also love that in non-boss fights , with the gambit system you can basically just watch the action play out without any intervention . This is a mixed blessing , of course , and I'm sure some people will hate this about the game . As with so many RPG's , FF XII requires an obnoxious amount of power-leveling to ensure that your characters are strong enough for boss fights . So you'll find yourself spending a lot of time running through the same areas just watching your characters fight to level up . I'm sure this will get old by the end of the game . But on the bright side , the game's world is enormous , so you have a lot of options when deciding where to go to level up . The graphics are great , though not nearly as overwhelmingly beautiful and crisp as some of the magazine articles and screen shots I've seen would have you believe . But what can I expect , it's not next-gen , it's just good for a PS2 game . And I love the widescreen option , it looks great on my TV . My worst complaint is with the story . It's not necessarily bad , and it does generally avoid the typical RPG cliche , but I do think it's too complicated for its own good . There are a lot of characters and events to keep track of , and the cutscenes have a lot of dialog that is quickly spoken . There doesn't appear to be an option to replay the cutscenes , nor is there an in-game journal to recap the story so far . But despite a little confusion , and a lot of time spent running around leveling up , I'm really enjoying this game . I just hope my enthusiasm will last all the way through to the end .
• 099 4  I'm about 20 hours into the game , and I'm guessing about 20% through the story , and I think I'm ready to give my thoughts so far . The game is really fun , and I LOVE the battle system . So many RPG's are bogged down by slow load times at the beginning of battle and completion screens at the end . So I love that in this game , these things don't exist . I also love that in non-boss fights , with the gambit system you can basically just watch the action play out without any intervention . This is a mixed blessing , of course , and I'm sure some people will hate this about the game . As with so many RPG's , FF XII requires an obnoxious amount of power-leveling to ensure that your characters are strong enough for boss fights . So you'll find yourself spending a lot of time running through the same areas just watching your characters fight to level up . I'm sure this will get old by the end of the game . But on the bright side , the game's world is enormous , so you have a lot of options when deciding where to go to level up . The graphics are great , though not nearly as overwhelmingly beautiful and crisp as some of the magazine articles and screen shots I've seen would have you believe . But what can I expect , it's not next-gen , it's just good for a PS2 game . And I love the widescreen option , it looks great on my TV . My worst complaint is with the story . It's not necessarily bad , and it does generally avoid the typical RPG cliche , but I do think it's too complicated for its own good . There are a lot of characters and events to keep track of , and the cutscenes have a lot of dialog that is quickly spoken . There doesn't appear to be an option to replay the cutscenes , nor is there an in-game journal to recap the story so far . But despite a little confusion , and a lot of time spent running around leveling up , I'm really enjoying this game . I just hope my enthusiasm will last all the way through to the end .
• 100 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) A while ago , I tried Final Fantasy X - 2 , hated it , and vowed to never EVER play a Final Fantasy game ever again . But my curiousity about Final Fantasy XII was killing me , so I picked it up from the video store . . . and bought it a few days later . I was instantly hooked . Gameplay : The first time trying the ADB system , I thought it was totally bizarre . But I kept testing and experimenting and I found that it's actually quite simple and really really great . The Wait feature ( which you can turn on and off at your leisure ) is really handy . It gives you the time to make important decisions during tough battles without having to pause the entire game . But some people may have a hard time with the Gambits . Gambits allow you to automate the character's actions ( even the party leader's ) . At first , this really confused me , but it's ESSENTIAL to playing the game . It takes the pressure off of the party leader to do all of the healing and allows you to customize the different types of Licenses you acquire for each party member . Although , I've found it easiest to turn the Gambits off for my party leader . I like to have full control of what ever character I'm leading . I touched briefly on Licenses . This is a very new experience that adds a new element to the game . To be able to use various magick / techniques / weapons , you have to buy the appropriate License to use it . Again , some people may find this unnecessery , but it's easy enough to earn LP ( License Points ) and pretty straight-forward to figure out . This allows for full customization of party members ( Example : focusing on weapon Licenses for Vaan , but buying more magick Licenses for Penelo ) . The License board is also where you acquire Quickenings ( high-power magick spells ) and Espers ( summoned beasts with high attack / magick power ) . The ADB system is also interesting in that you're able to choose what monsters you fight . Monsters are allowed to roam freely through the maps and can be avoided or confronted . Some are even neutral , and won't attack unless you attack them first . And if you enter into a fight that is too overwhelming , you can utilize the Escape feature . Storyline : The storyline is full of life , although the character development is lacking . It's unique in that there is no main theme or goal to be achieved . One event leads into the next and it flows together expertly , but it's not too complex that your head is swimming ( FF X - 2 , anyone ? ) . Although , I do feel that the character development was on the weak side . You get a pretty good idea about who the characters are , but not much beyond that . There's not a whole lot of character history , which would have added to the game somewhat . Graphics : As always , Square Enix deserves a standing ovation . Every single world , cutscene , texture , character is done marvelously , especially on the aging PS2 ! You start the game expecting perfection , and you get much better . Speaking of the worlds , they are HUGE ! ! ! It's mind-boggling to think how much time it took to create them . Every insignificant detail is done to the extreme . Something as simple as a tipped over mining car , or falling-apart bridge make the enviorment come alive . The monster and character animation is nothing to sneeze at either . The clothing , facial expressions , movements , use of weapons , and everything else is superb . Just superb ! You actually get scared when a hulking Slaven or Mesmenir comes barreling after you . Never had that happen before ! Audio : The music is great and every world theme fits perfectly with the surroundings . It's gorgeous and I wouldn't mind getting the soundtrack ( if one exists ) . The voice acting is . . . okay . . . It could have been much better , but I love the different accents ! Sound effects were good , but again , could have been improved greatly ( some get a little annoying after a while ) . Overall , I'd say that for any Final Fantasy lover , or any lover of fantasy RPG games , this is a MUST HAVE for your gaming arsenal . With 80 + hours of gameplay ( IF you exclude the side quests , hunts , and other things I didn't mention ) , you won't be bored or dissapointed ! Good job , Square Enix , and keep up the good work ! : - )
• 101 4  A while ago , I tried Final Fantasy X - 2 , hated it , and vowed to never EVER play a Final Fantasy game ever again . But my curiousity about Final Fantasy XII was killing me , so I picked it up from the video store . . . and bought it a few days later . I was instantly hooked . Gameplay : The first time trying the ADB system , I thought it was totally bizarre . But I kept testing and experimenting and I found that it's actually quite simple and really really great . The Wait feature ( which you can turn on and off at your leisure ) is really handy . It gives you the time to make important decisions during tough battles without having to pause the entire game . But some people may have a hard time with the Gambits . Gambits allow you to automate the character's actions ( even the party leader's ) . At first , this really confused me , but it's ESSENTIAL to playing the game . It takes the pressure off of the party leader to do all of the healing and allows you to customize the different types of Licenses you acquire for each party member . Although , I've found it easiest to turn the Gambits off for my party leader . I like to have full control of what ever character I'm leading . I touched briefly on Licenses . This is a very new experience that adds a new element to the game . To be able to use various magick / techniques / weapons , you have to buy the appropriate License to use it . Again , some people may find this unnecessery , but it's easy enough to earn LP ( License Points ) and pretty straight-forward to figure out . This allows for full customization of party members ( Example : focusing on weapon Licenses for Vaan , but buying more magick Licenses for Penelo ) . The License board is also where you acquire Quickenings ( high-power magick spells ) and Espers ( summoned beasts with high attack / magick power ) . The ADB system is also interesting in that you're able to choose what monsters you fight . Monsters are allowed to roam freely through the maps and can be avoided or confronted . Some are even neutral , and won't attack unless you attack them first . And if you enter into a fight that is too overwhelming , you can utilize the Escape feature . Storyline : The storyline is full of life , although the character development is lacking . It's unique in that there is no main theme or goal to be achieved . One event leads into the next and it flows together expertly , but it's not too complex that your head is swimming ( FF X - 2 , anyone ? ) . Although , I do feel that the character development was on the weak side . You get a pretty good idea about who the characters are , but not much beyond that . There's not a whole lot of character history , which would have added to the game somewhat . Graphics : As always , Square Enix deserves a standing ovation . Every single world , cutscene , texture , character is done marvelously , especially on the aging PS2 ! You start the game expecting perfection , and you get much better . Speaking of the worlds , they are HUGE ! ! ! It's mind-boggling to think how much time it took to create them . Every insignificant detail is done to the extreme . Something as simple as a tipped over mining car , or falling-apart bridge make the enviorment come alive . The monster and character animation is nothing to sneeze at either . The clothing , facial expressions , movements , use of weapons , and everything else is superb . Just superb ! You actually get scared when a hulking Slaven or Mesmenir comes barreling after you . Never had that happen before ! Audio : The music is great and every world theme fits perfectly with the surroundings . It's gorgeous and I wouldn't mind getting the soundtrack ( if one exists ) . The voice acting is . . . okay . . . It could have been much better , but I love the different accents ! Sound effects were good , but again , could have been improved greatly ( some get a little annoying after a while ) . Overall , I'd say that for any Final Fantasy lover , or any lover of fantasy RPG games , this is a MUST HAVE for your gaming arsenal . With 80 + hours of gameplay ( IF you exclude the side quests , hunts , and other things I didn't mention ) , you won't be bored or dissapointed ! Good job , Square Enix , and keep up the good work ! : - )
• 102 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) One of the few times when all constructive work ceases in my home is when a notable game comes out . And for us PS2 - bound RPG hackers , the Final Fantasy series is a long string of notables . Final Fantasy XII is no exception to this rule . In fact , it proves once and for all that the PS2 is capable of remarkable quality IF ( big if ) the producers and directors are willing to put out the energy to get the best they can out of the machine . And FF XII is definitely going to go down as one of the best . Artistically and technically the game is simply perfect . The detailing is so fine that the shift between game resolution and actual CGI is barely noticeable . Ivalice is an ornate world , replete with images that are a lush combination of Asian potentates and steam gothic science . The game brings this to life memorable animating things down to the weather in the next sector over . It is as real as an imaginary world can be . Character animation is every bit as good , and sound , and . . . Well , take it from me , one can quibble about some details but , from a technical viewpoint the game is a pleasure to play . Whether you are fighting or touring you are enmeshed in a cinematic tour de force . Story line is just about as good . Your primary player is a 15 year old street kid named Vaan living in the recently conquered city of Rabinastre . Vaan , and his best friend Penelo , are orphans , making their livings helping out at the local store and pickpocketing when the opportunity presents itself . Vaan dreams of being a sky pirate , but the first order of business is sneaking into the palace and building a decent nest egg . But all does not go as planned and Vaan is catapulted into the high adventure of helping a queen win back her kingdom - and keeping Ivalice from going belly up while he is at it . If you have ever liked a Final Fantasy story you will love this one , a complex tale set against a huge world . Of course , nothing is perfect . The real flaw in this game is that you almost have to buy the ' official ' guide to play the whole game . You can get through the main plot without much help , but over half the game is actually in the side quests , plus the clues to the ' special ' weapons . A straight run at the plot takes about 100 hours , but if you try to play all the game expect to put in about 250 hours or more . However , it's not all that often that a purchased guide gets you an extra 100 hours of game play , so this is hardly a fatal flaw . The other flaw is that the characters are a bit flat . The Final Fantasy series has a long tradition of ringing emotional as well as battle-oriented bells . FF XII doesn't develop the same strong relationships . If you look at some of the marketing materials it seems there were plans for an Ashe ( the deposed princess ) and Vaan pairing , but this simply doesn't happen . Instead , the endearing personalities award go to Balthier , the wry tongued sky-pirate and his partner Fran , who is best described as the sexiest rabbit-eared battle maiden in the history of gaming . The only other negative comment I have is that there are way too many bats in the game . Every time you turn around you are being chased by a horde of hero crazed blood drinkers . Sheesh ! One of the interesting innovations in battle is the use of gambits , which are literally action programs to control how characters act in battle . You know , hit the weakest opponent , heal your friend from terminal slime , etc . The commands are many and once you get the hang of them it is possible to have a team that does all its fighting automatically and only occasionally requires human intervention . Obviously this is a big plus for those of us who don't really care for frantic console smashing . For those that do like the intensity of realtime battle , that option is available too . All things considered , in a world where nothing is perfect , and RPGs are often loaded with bad compromises , Final Fantasy XII succeeds in being one of the best of the best . It has too many facets to number , so everyone will find a few things they wish were better . But there are few games that have inspired me to play them twice in rapid succession . This is probably the last great RPG for the PS2 so get it and prepare for having your money's worth for a change .
• 103 4  One of the few times when all constructive work ceases in my home is when a notable game comes out . And for us PS2 - bound RPG hackers , the Final Fantasy series is a long string of notables . Final Fantasy XII is no exception to this rule . In fact , it proves once and for all that the PS2 is capable of remarkable quality IF ( big if ) the producers and directors are willing to put out the energy to get the best they can out of the machine . And FF XII is definitely going to go down as one of the best . Artistically and technically the game is simply perfect . The detailing is so fine that the shift between game resolution and actual CGI is barely noticeable . Ivalice is an ornate world , replete with images that are a lush combination of Asian potentates and steam gothic science . The game brings this to life memorable animating things down to the weather in the next sector over . It is as real as an imaginary world can be . Character animation is every bit as good , and sound , and . . . Well , take it from me , one can quibble about some details but , from a technical viewpoint the game is a pleasure to play . Whether you are fighting or touring you are enmeshed in a cinematic tour de force . Story line is just about as good . Your primary player is a 15 year old street kid named Vaan living in the recently conquered city of Rabinastre . Vaan , and his best friend Penelo , are orphans , making their livings helping out at the local store and pickpocketing when the opportunity presents itself . Vaan dreams of being a sky pirate , but the first order of business is sneaking into the palace and building a decent nest egg . But all does not go as planned and Vaan is catapulted into the high adventure of helping a queen win back her kingdom - and keeping Ivalice from going belly up while he is at it . If you have ever liked a Final Fantasy story you will love this one , a complex tale set against a huge world . Of course , nothing is perfect . The real flaw in this game is that you almost have to buy the ' official ' guide to play the whole game . You can get through the main plot without much help , but over half the game is actually in the side quests , plus the clues to the ' special ' weapons . A straight run at the plot takes about 100 hours , but if you try to play all the game expect to put in about 250 hours or more . However , it's not all that often that a purchased guide gets you an extra 100 hours of game play , so this is hardly a fatal flaw . The other flaw is that the characters are a bit flat . The Final Fantasy series has a long tradition of ringing emotional as well as battle-oriented bells . FF XII doesn't develop the same strong relationships . If you look at some of the marketing materials it seems there were plans for an Ashe ( the deposed princess ) and Vaan pairing , but this simply doesn't happen . Instead , the endearing personalities award go to Balthier , the wry tongued sky-pirate and his partner Fran , who is best described as the sexiest rabbit-eared battle maiden in the history of gaming . The only other negative comment I have is that there are way too many bats in the game . Every time you turn around you are being chased by a horde of hero crazed blood drinkers . Sheesh ! One of the interesting innovations in battle is the use of gambits , which are literally action programs to control how characters act in battle . You know , hit the weakest opponent , heal your friend from terminal slime , etc . The commands are many and once you get the hang of them it is possible to have a team that does all its fighting automatically and only occasionally requires human intervention . Obviously this is a big plus for those of us who don't really care for frantic console smashing . For those that do like the intensity of realtime battle , that option is available too . All things considered , in a world where nothing is perfect , and RPGs are often loaded with bad compromises , Final Fantasy XII succeeds in being one of the best of the best . It has too many facets to number , so everyone will find a few things they wish were better . But there are few games that have inspired me to play them twice in rapid succession . This is probably the last great RPG for the PS2 so get it and prepare for having your money's worth for a change .
• 104 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) After playing almost all the FF , especially VII through X - 2 , I expected better . Do you want to play 100 plus hours of fairly typical Final Fantasy and just want to have fun ? Then you probably will enjoy this . With the exception of a change to the battle system , and how you progress your character , this is pretty much typical FF . The battle system has pluses and minuses . Less micromanaging . As a result , sometimes you are just on cruise control as a player . I hate the license system . Supposedly you need to develop characters with different traits , and early in the game , this is true . But if you are a persistent player , eventually you'll have 6 very similar characters . I hate the loot system which is how you get gil . I hate the conditional treasure system . You have odds of getting the right treasure , vs something mostly worthless . Some treasures have odds like 1 in 10 or worse . The good news is that most of the treasures respawn . If you leave the area and come back , they are often there again . But I spent easily 3 hours trying to respawn a certain item and finally gave up . The story was not what I want from FF . I like the romance . This is what I think of as a weak political story . Side quests - yep . Lots . But frankly , they get tedious . I've played all the FF games , most for 100 plus hours , and this seems more tedious . Summary - I think you can enjoy this game , but I expected better .
• 105 4  After playing almost all the FF , especially VII through X - 2 , I expected better . Do you want to play 100 plus hours of fairly typical Final Fantasy and just want to have fun ? Then you probably will enjoy this . With the exception of a change to the battle system , and how you progress your character , this is pretty much typical FF . The battle system has pluses and minuses . Less micromanaging . As a result , sometimes you are just on cruise control as a player . I hate the license system . Supposedly you need to develop characters with different traits , and early in the game , this is true . But if you are a persistent player , eventually you'll have 6 very similar characters . I hate the loot system which is how you get gil . I hate the conditional treasure system . You have odds of getting the right treasure , vs something mostly worthless . Some treasures have odds like 1 in 10 or worse . The good news is that most of the treasures respawn . If you leave the area and come back , they are often there again . But I spent easily 3 hours trying to respawn a certain item and finally gave up . The story was not what I want from FF . I like the romance . This is what I think of as a weak political story . Side quests - yep . Lots . But frankly , they get tedious . I've played all the FF games , most for 100 plus hours , and this seems more tedious . Summary - I think you can enjoy this game , but I expected better .
• 106 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Let me start by saying , I personally absolutely loved this game , and although it's not my absolute favorite of the series , it's right up there . I'll be brief and simply analyze select important areas . Gameplay Aspects Combat - The innovative new Combat does take some getting used to , I'll admit , but after the first few hours and once one gets a handle on it , it's alot of fun , and makes the action feel much more real as opposed to the standing still and attacking when time calls for it ( a style that while I do enjoy , I largely prefer this new kind . ) License Board - To allow characters to use specific weapons and magics one must purchase them from a license board , somewhat similar to the Sphere-Grid in FFX . I will admit this is a lower aspect of the game , virtually any character can be any class , Penelo can go head in with a heavy weapon and Basch can stand back and heal . Travel - Walks are generally long , and can encompass many areas with a variety of annoying critters . While it's most times enjoyable it can be tedious after multiple hours of such , and if your party's not leveled correctly ; difficult and tedious . Story Aspects Plot - Personally I will say this makes my top 3 for FF stories . Many complain it lacks the great cause the other Final Fantasy's had , that it's instead a political ordeal with some corruption bits thrown in for flavoring . Despite some truth in that , it doesn't make the story bad at all , it makes it feel a bit more real , rather than saving the whole world ( or , attempting to ) it relates more to these people ( though as with all Final Fantasy's there is some measure of the do this or the world is in danger aspect . ) Characters - The Characters aren't quite what they are in some previous titles , I will admit , but this doesn't make them out-right dull . Balthier , for one , is right up there with Zell of VIII and Auron of X in my opinion . While the party as a whole isn't the most interesting group , they have their moments , and enough so they definently rise above the dull line . Big Time Awe Inspiring moments - In all Final Fantasy's there's always those cut scenes that leave you mouth agap . This title is no exception , having a couple that will be sure to inspire your jaw to drop . To conclude , it may not be the finest in the series , but it's damn good , and worth picking up . I will say one thing though ; I personally am a fan of MMO's , a big time fan , I've played Everquest , DAoC for a brief spurt , and World of Warcraft . This game has some MMO-ish aspects , including what many consider ' the grind ' ( though not near to the extreme that MMOs do . ) Despite that fact I've been playing Final Fantasy Games since before I ever did any MMO . If you can accept I may have a slight bias , then I say pick up this game .
• 107 4  Let me start by saying , I personally absolutely loved this game , and although it's not my absolute favorite of the series , it's right up there . I'll be brief and simply analyze select important areas . Gameplay Aspects Combat - The innovative new Combat does take some getting used to , I'll admit , but after the first few hours and once one gets a handle on it , it's alot of fun , and makes the action feel much more real as opposed to the standing still and attacking when time calls for it ( a style that while I do enjoy , I largely prefer this new kind . ) License Board - To allow characters to use specific weapons and magics one must purchase them from a license board , somewhat similar to the Sphere-Grid in FFX . I will admit this is a lower aspect of the game , virtually any character can be any class , Penelo can go head in with a heavy weapon and Basch can stand back and heal . Travel - Walks are generally long , and can encompass many areas with a variety of annoying critters . While it's most times enjoyable it can be tedious after multiple hours of such , and if your party's not leveled correctly ; difficult and tedious . Story Aspects Plot - Personally I will say this makes my top 3 for FF stories . Many complain it lacks the great cause the other Final Fantasy's had , that it's instead a political ordeal with some corruption bits thrown in for flavoring . Despite some truth in that , it doesn't make the story bad at all , it makes it feel a bit more real , rather than saving the whole world ( or , attempting to ) it relates more to these people ( though as with all Final Fantasy's there is some measure of the do this or the world is in danger aspect . ) Characters - The Characters aren't quite what they are in some previous titles , I will admit , but this doesn't make them out-right dull . Balthier , for one , is right up there with Zell of VIII and Auron of X in my opinion . While the party as a whole isn't the most interesting group , they have their moments , and enough so they definently rise above the dull line . Big Time Awe Inspiring moments - In all Final Fantasy's there's always those cut scenes that leave you mouth agap . This title is no exception , having a couple that will be sure to inspire your jaw to drop . To conclude , it may not be the finest in the series , but it's damn good , and worth picking up . I will say one thing though ; I personally am a fan of MMO's , a big time fan , I've played Everquest , DAoC for a brief spurt , and World of Warcraft . This game has some MMO-ish aspects , including what many consider ' the grind ' ( though not near to the extreme that MMOs do . ) Despite that fact I've been playing Final Fantasy Games since before I ever did any MMO . If you can accept I may have a slight bias , then I say pick up this game .
• 110 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I still can't get over how beautifully detailed and fun this game is . Its actually better than what I expected and much more . Its funny because My cousin and I bought this game together and I'm 20 + hours into the game and he's only 13 hours into it . The funny part is that He's further ahead in the game than me ! I ran into some interesting side-quest along the way and honestly thought they were part of the ongoing plot . Anyway my point is that this game has lots to offer and its HUGE ! and that may be an understatement . I'm 20 + hours in the game and I havent even scratched the surface . How does Square-Enix do it ? They manage to fit all these glorious visuals and gameplay into one dvd . I have to declare that they are the BEST game developing company EVER ! They really deserve many awards for all the wonderful games that they created . They know how to deliver quality and it shows in this remarkable game !
• 112 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I haven't played a Final Fantasy game since the first incarnation of FF X on PS2 , some six years ago , and I am sorry to say that , for me , it didn't gel as well as I thought a Final Fantasy game ought to have done . So I didn't bother with X - 2 , XI , or Dirge of Cerberus , but when I glanced at some gaming websites and caught the trailers , I was surprised when it took mere seconds for me to become hooked on the hype and thrown back once more into the masterful hands of those genius storytellers at Square . Now that I've had a chance to finish my first run through this awe-inspiring game , I'm going to share my impressions with you , and if , like me , you're in two minds as to the actual quality of Final Fantasy XII , I hope I can convince you to part with your hard-earned cash for it : it's the best game I've played in years . GRAPHICS : 5 / 5 Astonishingly detailed cutscenes and extremely high-quality in-game poly characters have been a staple of FF games since FF VIII on the PS , way-back-when , but here , the incredible visuals take on a whole new depth of detail and luxury . It's hard to believe that the PS2 is capable of such jaw-dropping visuals ( and only on one disc , yet ! ) , but you have to see FF XII in motion to appreciate how truly incredible the graphics are . The main protagonists are fantastically designed , and there's a far deeper sense of unification and realism between the character designs , and the in-game personas developed for them both by the storyline and the ( excellent ) voice actors . Cityscapes and dungeons are jaw-dropping in their detail and size , and the frame rate is very impressive indeed , with next-to-no slowdown . FINALLY , there's a competent camera system to play with , and presentation screens and in-game menus are very straightforward and very usable . Some repetition occurs with the various townspeople you run across , but the monster design more than compensates for this . All-in-all , visually , FF XII is top-drawer . SOUND : 4 / 5 As I mentioned previously , the voice-acting in FF XII is of an unusually high standard , and the variety of convincing character accents ( Eurasian , Nordic , American , Indian , British and so forth ) lends huge amounts of plausibility and atmosphere to the story . The battle music is a little repetitive , but is really nice to listen to , so that's not necessarily a bad thing . Effects are functional and utilitarian , as they should be , and overall , FF XII's sound designers are to be congratulated for a stimulating aural atmosphere that's almost the equal of the visuals . PLAYABILITY : 5 / 5 FF XII is different , VERY different , than those FF titles before it , and I don't just mean the in-game mechanics . Whereas previous games begin with simple storylines that build and build to eventually become metaphors for ethical and moral questions bigger than the characters contained in the game , FF XII starts off with some very adult themes ( and I don't mean adult in an inappropriate-for-children sort of way , have no worries on that score ! ) and situations , and is almost confusing in its scope and scale . Civil unrest , war , political corruption and domination all mark the beginnings of FF XII , and so from the get-go , we're a far cry from the displaced where-am-I-now scenarios of Tidus and co . in FF X , or the simplistic kidnapping-goes-wrong antics of Zidane in FF IX . This game runs on a decidedly more sophisticated theme , and yet manages to retain all of the individual character development and plot depth that we've come to expect from a FF title . Story-wise , FF XII is an absolute winner - it's like losing yourself in a good book , or listening to a fascinating history lesson . And what would these major structural changes be without some major mechanical changes to go with them ? The battles in FF XII are all real-time , you can essentially choose to fight or flee from the almost all of the many enemy encounters waiting for you . It's such a refreshing change for a FF game to be able to roam about without dreading the brief pause before the battle screens have to load , and EXP and LP ( License Points - a bit like AP from previous games ) are earned in real-time too , so you spend a lot less time navigating confusing menu screens and such . Characters are also no longer restricted by class or race - you can have your male protagonist wielding an Oak Staff while your magic-heavy characters brandish swords and shields , it's all highly customisable . Gambits mean that your party characters take their own initiative within a user-specified list of actions , and , while this takes some getting used to , after a couple of hours , you wonder how you managed without them . From a gameplayer's point of view , then , FF XII is a dream , and a highly polished , professional dream at that . OVERALL : 5 / 5 This is a refreshing , redefining game in the FF canon , and one that even the mildest fans of the RPG can get to grips with . Those stat-fiends amongst us too will find great depth and rewards in its many secrets and sidequests , and everyone will appreciate the beauty of both the visuals and - rather more importantly - the storyline . I can't recommend it highly enough , you just need to play it to understand . Go buy it right this minute !
• 113 4  I haven't played a Final Fantasy game since the first incarnation of FF X on PS2 , some six years ago , and I am sorry to say that , for me , it didn't gel as well as I thought a Final Fantasy game ought to have done . So I didn't bother with X - 2 , XI , or Dirge of Cerberus , but when I glanced at some gaming websites and caught the trailers , I was surprised when it took mere seconds for me to become hooked on the hype and thrown back once more into the masterful hands of those genius storytellers at Square . Now that I've had a chance to finish my first run through this awe-inspiring game , I'm going to share my impressions with you , and if , like me , you're in two minds as to the actual quality of Final Fantasy XII , I hope I can convince you to part with your hard-earned cash for it : it's the best game I've played in years . GRAPHICS : 5 / 5 Astonishingly detailed cutscenes and extremely high-quality in-game poly characters have been a staple of FF games since FF VIII on the PS , way-back-when , but here , the incredible visuals take on a whole new depth of detail and luxury . It's hard to believe that the PS2 is capable of such jaw-dropping visuals ( and only on one disc , yet ! ) , but you have to see FF XII in motion to appreciate how truly incredible the graphics are . The main protagonists are fantastically designed , and there's a far deeper sense of unification and realism between the character designs , and the in-game personas developed for them both by the storyline and the ( excellent ) voice actors . Cityscapes and dungeons are jaw-dropping in their detail and size , and the frame rate is very impressive indeed , with next-to-no slowdown . FINALLY , there's a competent camera system to play with , and presentation screens and in-game menus are very straightforward and very usable . Some repetition occurs with the various townspeople you run across , but the monster design more than compensates for this . All-in-all , visually , FF XII is top-drawer . SOUND : 4 / 5 As I mentioned previously , the voice-acting in FF XII is of an unusually high standard , and the variety of convincing character accents ( Eurasian , Nordic , American , Indian , British and so forth ) lends huge amounts of plausibility and atmosphere to the story . The battle music is a little repetitive , but is really nice to listen to , so that's not necessarily a bad thing . Effects are functional and utilitarian , as they should be , and overall , FF XII's sound designers are to be congratulated for a stimulating aural atmosphere that's almost the equal of the visuals . PLAYABILITY : 5 / 5 FF XII is different , VERY different , than those FF titles before it , and I don't just mean the in-game mechanics . Whereas previous games begin with simple storylines that build and build to eventually become metaphors for ethical and moral questions bigger than the characters contained in the game , FF XII starts off with some very adult themes ( and I don't mean adult in an inappropriate-for-children sort of way , have no worries on that score ! ) and situations , and is almost confusing in its scope and scale . Civil unrest , war , political corruption and domination all mark the beginnings of FF XII , and so from the get-go , we're a far cry from the displaced where-am-I-now scenarios of Tidus and co . in FF X , or the simplistic kidnapping-goes-wrong antics of Zidane in FF IX . This game runs on a decidedly more sophisticated theme , and yet manages to retain all of the individual character development and plot depth that we've come to expect from a FF title . Story-wise , FF XII is an absolute winner - it's like losing yourself in a good book , or listening to a fascinating history lesson . And what would these major structural changes be without some major mechanical changes to go with them ? The battles in FF XII are all real-time , you can essentially choose to fight or flee from the almost all of the many enemy encounters waiting for you . It's such a refreshing change for a FF game to be able to roam about without dreading the brief pause before the battle screens have to load , and EXP and LP ( License Points - a bit like AP from previous games ) are earned in real-time too , so you spend a lot less time navigating confusing menu screens and such . Characters are also no longer restricted by class or race - you can have your male protagonist wielding an Oak Staff while your magic-heavy characters brandish swords and shields , it's all highly customisable . Gambits mean that your party characters take their own initiative within a user-specified list of actions , and , while this takes some getting used to , after a couple of hours , you wonder how you managed without them . From a gameplayer's point of view , then , FF XII is a dream , and a highly polished , professional dream at that . OVERALL : 5 / 5 This is a refreshing , redefining game in the FF canon , and one that even the mildest fans of the RPG can get to grips with . Those stat-fiends amongst us too will find great depth and rewards in its many secrets and sidequests , and everyone will appreciate the beauty of both the visuals and - rather more importantly - the storyline . I can't recommend it highly enough , you just need to play it to understand . Go buy it right this minute !
• 114 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is an incredible game ! It combines all old school-new school japanese rpgs best with a brand new very nice combat system . I played 60h and i'm still far from finishing it . It's not for everyone because the difficulty and the lengh of side quest is very impressive . I'd define this FF as a combination between DQ8 classic RPG style , with fetch quest and monster hunting , and the magnificent FF ambiance with those beautiful character design , impressive creatures and environment . The main story starts with a incredibly amazing war , and then is kinda boring for a while , but at the middle of the game its , like all FF , taking an epic turn that makes you wanna play more and more . There is an incredible number of side-quests , hidden bosses , secret items and aeons that you can get without following the main story . I played tons of rpgs , and i never saw such quantity of challenges you can take . You don't have to explore half of the map for the main story , the other half is packed with high level monsters that you will enjoy fighting as soon as you masterize the new combat system . This new system can be very tactical , for bosses or tough enemy , but is also very cool when you have to wander is easy zones , because everything can be auto , so you dont have to input command each time you meet a level 1 wolf . . which is great since i think low level fighting again and again is always a pain in the neck in rpgs . Not for everyone , but for me and many rpg lovers , i now understand how this game is cited by many as the best FF since FF6
• 115 4  This is an incredible game ! It combines all old school-new school japanese rpgs best with a brand new very nice combat system . I played 60h and i'm still far from finishing it . It's not for everyone because the difficulty and the lengh of side quest is very impressive . I'd define this FF as a combination between DQ8 classic RPG style , with fetch quest and monster hunting , and the magnificent FF ambiance with those beautiful character design , impressive creatures and environment . The main story starts with a incredibly amazing war , and then is kinda boring for a while , but at the middle of the game its , like all FF , taking an epic turn that makes you wanna play more and more . There is an incredible number of side-quests , hidden bosses , secret items and aeons that you can get without following the main story . I played tons of rpgs , and i never saw such quantity of challenges you can take . You don't have to explore half of the map for the main story , the other half is packed with high level monsters that you will enjoy fighting as soon as you masterize the new combat system . This new system can be very tactical , for bosses or tough enemy , but is also very cool when you have to wander is easy zones , because everything can be auto , so you dont have to input command each time you meet a level 1 wolf . . which is great since i think low level fighting again and again is always a pain in the neck in rpgs . Not for everyone , but for me and many rpg lovers , i now understand how this game is cited by many as the best FF since FF6
• 116 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Before I begin , I would like to say I've been a long-term Final Fantasy fan throughout the series . The difference is , I am not biased towards this game nor previous titles . I actually lost a lot of faith in the series when FF X came out . . . infact , I lost all hope in it mainly due to the storyline . FF X - 2 . . . don't even get me started on that . I decided to get my hopes up once more and give FF XII a shot when it came out . I wasn't expecting much out of it because I didn't want to get my hopes up as I did with FF X . I really should have gotten my hopes up though . The storyline may not be entirely original ( an empire taking over other countries to become the main dominant force ) but the plot is very rich . I can honestly state this is the first FF series EVER where I enjoyed each and every character . I did not find not one annoyance with any of them . Although the main character is perceived to be Vaan , it does not central around him and the plot shows a great balance in character development . The new battle-system . I love it . The gambits are amazing ( although if set right , it makes it downright easy ) and it is more realistic . Pros : - Battle System - Side jobs - Storyline - Characters Cons : - Not enough save points ( The dungeons and certain areas are very vast and it could take quite a while when you reach a save point ) - World Map ( I honestly miss the world map . They have gotten rid of the idea since FF X of actually flying your airship around and landing in certain spots )
• 117 4  Before I begin , I would like to say I've been a long-term Final Fantasy fan throughout the series . The difference is , I am not biased towards this game nor previous titles . I actually lost a lot of faith in the series when FF X came out . . . infact , I lost all hope in it mainly due to the storyline . FF X - 2 . . . don't even get me started on that . I decided to get my hopes up once more and give FF XII a shot when it came out . I wasn't expecting much out of it because I didn't want to get my hopes up as I did with FF X . I really should have gotten my hopes up though . The storyline may not be entirely original ( an empire taking over other countries to become the main dominant force ) but the plot is very rich . I can honestly state this is the first FF series EVER where I enjoyed each and every character . I did not find not one annoyance with any of them . Although the main character is perceived to be Vaan , it does not central around him and the plot shows a great balance in character development . The new battle-system . I love it . The gambits are amazing ( although if set right , it makes it downright easy ) and it is more realistic . Pros : - Battle System - Side jobs - Storyline - Characters Cons : - Not enough save points ( The dungeons and certain areas are very vast and it could take quite a while when you reach a save point ) - World Map ( I honestly miss the world map . They have gotten rid of the idea since FF X of actually flying your airship around and landing in certain spots )
• 118 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy 12 is great in its own way . If I had the option it would be more like a 4.5 It has a good story line that is dark and serious compared to other Final Fantasy games . Its graphics are good as well , showing impressive scences for what the PS2 has to offer . I don't really like its combat system . I know that the stand and wait thing got on a lot of peoples nerves so I am glad they got rid of it . But they replaced it with . . . move around and wait . I wish it was just more like Star Ocean Until the end of Time where you could keep attacking while moving . ( But only if they AI were smarter ) No matter whether you can move around during a battle or not it is still turned base . Not having random encounters is a perk , but considering they litter the screen with plenty of baddies thatwill simply chase you down . I don't see much difference . Its camera angles leave something to be desired as well . Outside its all fine and dandy but if your inside a building half the time whatever your fighting is dead by the time you swing it around . Which wouldn't matter anyway , because of the gambit system you not only wait to strike but if you want you can just let them fight while you go off and use the bathroom . On the camera angles . . . if I wanted to play Vagrant Story I would . When I play final fantasy I want to see pretty backgrounds . . . . not the ground . The only other real complaint I have is the lack of a love story at all . Its all about the doom and gloom of war without any real feeling of the characters besides revenge . Not that I was a big fan of FF8s overdone love story . But it gives you a sense of knowing the character better , and also seeing something happy for them . If I wanted just doom and gloom I would turn on the T.V . That aside as I said it has innovative ideas and a great storyline despite not having a classic FF feel to it . With good graphics and cool sidequests . I may have just got my hopes to high for the greatest game ever , and so it couldn't live up to my expectations .
• 119 4  Final Fantasy 12 is great in its own way . If I had the option it would be more like a 4.5 It has a good story line that is dark and serious compared to other Final Fantasy games . Its graphics are good as well , showing impressive scences for what the PS2 has to offer . I don't really like its combat system . I know that the stand and wait thing got on a lot of peoples nerves so I am glad they got rid of it . But they replaced it with . . . move around and wait . I wish it was just more like Star Ocean Until the end of Time where you could keep attacking while moving . ( But only if they AI were smarter ) No matter whether you can move around during a battle or not it is still turned base . Not having random encounters is a perk , but considering they litter the screen with plenty of baddies thatwill simply chase you down . I don't see much difference . Its camera angles leave something to be desired as well . Outside its all fine and dandy but if your inside a building half the time whatever your fighting is dead by the time you swing it around . Which wouldn't matter anyway , because of the gambit system you not only wait to strike but if you want you can just let them fight while you go off and use the bathroom . On the camera angles . . . if I wanted to play Vagrant Story I would . When I play final fantasy I want to see pretty backgrounds . . . . not the ground . The only other real complaint I have is the lack of a love story at all . Its all about the doom and gloom of war without any real feeling of the characters besides revenge . Not that I was a big fan of FF8s overdone love story . But it gives you a sense of knowing the character better , and also seeing something happy for them . If I wanted just doom and gloom I would turn on the T.V . That aside as I said it has innovative ideas and a great storyline despite not having a classic FF feel to it . With good graphics and cool sidequests . I may have just got my hopes to high for the greatest game ever , and so it couldn't live up to my expectations .
• 120 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I have played nearly every final fantasy available in the U.S . including the legends and mystic quest and everything , so i have some background with these games and I love them . Final fantasy 7,8,9 , and 10 are genious , with great gameplay , extremely thoughtful and interesting storylines that defy imagination , and tons of replay value . I bought this game the day it came out expecting another classic , but after playing it for maybe 10 hours I was extremely disappointed . I have never played FFXI but I am aware of MMORPGs and am not a big fan . This game essential tries to mirror an MMORPG with single player elements . The storyline is basically a throw-away , because they tried to concentrate on gameplay more like an MMORPG . There are no fantasy elements , such as Sin from FFX or Sephiroth from FFVII , but rather a political struggle that makes you want to yawn because it is like watching the history channel . That was the biggest disappointment to me , I love how brilliant the fantasy-like storylines are from the previous final fantasies . They are games that start out with a minor mission and explode into trying to save the world , universe , time or something awesome like that . This game starts out with a minor mission and continues with a minor mission the whole way through . The gameplay is fun , though . I like the turn-based playing more but this is ok too . It adds in more elements to strategy , that's for sure . One problem that really frustrated me as I played was the fact that the designers set boundaries in some areas by adding in enemies that would instantly kill you and you couldnt beat until you gained many more levels . Sometimes you play for an hour , run into one of these enemies that doesn't look any harder than any other enemy and your party will be wiped out trying to escape ( especially in the beginning when you have only 1 or 2 active characters ) . As far as I see it , there is really no difference in characters very much . There is no real story about each character and you never really learn much about them or their personalities or anything ( like an MMORPG , only the battling matters ) . There is also no real difference between the characters in battle ! They may have some slightly different stat buildup , but its nothing major . The way the board or whatever its called is set up , any character can equip any weapon and learn any magic so you could have 6 white mage-types or 6 knight-types . Another thing I really like about final fantasies is the music . This game really doesn't have much in that category either , it pretty much all sounds like elevator music . I'm not sure If Nobuo Uematsu wrote the music for this game , but if he did he let me down because I never really noticed any of it . All said , this game is fun but not really FF good . It maybe tries too hard to be like an MMORPG and that pretty much killed it for me . But if you play those games purely for the battling , leveling up your characters , and not really caing about storyline or anything , than maybe you'll like this more than me . If you want a real final fantasy game , 7,8,9 and 10 are all incredible and the ones that came before it are not bad and are available on anthology , chronicles , origins , or i guess now on the Nintendo DS or things like that .
• 121 4  I have played nearly every final fantasy available in the U.S . including the legends and mystic quest and everything , so i have some background with these games and I love them . Final fantasy 7,8,9 , and 10 are genious , with great gameplay , extremely thoughtful and interesting storylines that defy imagination , and tons of replay value . I bought this game the day it came out expecting another classic , but after playing it for maybe 10 hours I was extremely disappointed . I have never played FFXI but I am aware of MMORPGs and am not a big fan . This game essential tries to mirror an MMORPG with single player elements . The storyline is basically a throw-away , because they tried to concentrate on gameplay more like an MMORPG . There are no fantasy elements , such as Sin from FFX or Sephiroth from FFVII , but rather a political struggle that makes you want to yawn because it is like watching the history channel . That was the biggest disappointment to me , I love how brilliant the fantasy-like storylines are from the previous final fantasies . They are games that start out with a minor mission and explode into trying to save the world , universe , time or something awesome like that . This game starts out with a minor mission and continues with a minor mission the whole way through . The gameplay is fun , though . I like the turn-based playing more but this is ok too . It adds in more elements to strategy , that's for sure . One problem that really frustrated me as I played was the fact that the designers set boundaries in some areas by adding in enemies that would instantly kill you and you couldnt beat until you gained many more levels . Sometimes you play for an hour , run into one of these enemies that doesn't look any harder than any other enemy and your party will be wiped out trying to escape ( especially in the beginning when you have only 1 or 2 active characters ) . As far as I see it , there is really no difference in characters very much . There is no real story about each character and you never really learn much about them or their personalities or anything ( like an MMORPG , only the battling matters ) . There is also no real difference between the characters in battle ! They may have some slightly different stat buildup , but its nothing major . The way the board or whatever its called is set up , any character can equip any weapon and learn any magic so you could have 6 white mage-types or 6 knight-types . Another thing I really like about final fantasies is the music . This game really doesn't have much in that category either , it pretty much all sounds like elevator music . I'm not sure If Nobuo Uematsu wrote the music for this game , but if he did he let me down because I never really noticed any of it . All said , this game is fun but not really FF good . It maybe tries too hard to be like an MMORPG and that pretty much killed it for me . But if you play those games purely for the battling , leveling up your characters , and not really caing about storyline or anything , than maybe you'll like this more than me . If you want a real final fantasy game , 7,8,9 and 10 are all incredible and the ones that came before it are not bad and are available on anthology , chronicles , origins , or i guess now on the Nintendo DS or things like that .
• 122 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) To call Final Fantasy XII eagerly anticipated is saying it lightly . Now , FF fanboys can rejoice at long last because FF XII is finally here in all it's glory , and not only is it the best game in the series since FF VII , it's one of the best RPG's on the PS2 . The storyline appears to be something we've seen time and time again : a ragtag group of freedom fighters become reluctant heroes to defeat their evil oppressors , but out of nowhere the story evolves and pulls you in like you won't expect , something that the last few game's in the series haven't done . This is all seen with incredible cutscenes and surprisingly good voice acting to go along with some impressive graphics for a PS2 game , and the music score is excellently done as well . As for the gameplay , there are some surprises for veteran fans of the series . The random battles that went hand in hand with the title Final Fantasy are gone ; replaced with battles that take place in context with the storyline . Not to mention that the battle system is now more strategic and involving now than ever before , adding a new dimension to the turn based battle system that has been used so much it has become archaic . If there's any negatives to FF XII , it's that the battle system takes some time to get used to , and there are times when exploring and re-tracing your footsteps becomes a chore , but other than that this installment in the long running series has quite a lot going for it : engaging story , lengthy quest , great graphics and sound , and well written and conceived characters . All in all , though the PS2 may be going the way of the dodo , Final Fantasy XII is another game that is going to help it go out in style .
• 123 4  To call Final Fantasy XII eagerly anticipated is saying it lightly . Now , FF fanboys can rejoice at long last because FF XII is finally here in all it's glory , and not only is it the best game in the series since FF VII , it's one of the best RPG's on the PS2 . The storyline appears to be something we've seen time and time again : a ragtag group of freedom fighters become reluctant heroes to defeat their evil oppressors , but out of nowhere the story evolves and pulls you in like you won't expect , something that the last few game's in the series haven't done . This is all seen with incredible cutscenes and surprisingly good voice acting to go along with some impressive graphics for a PS2 game , and the music score is excellently done as well . As for the gameplay , there are some surprises for veteran fans of the series . The random battles that went hand in hand with the title Final Fantasy are gone ; replaced with battles that take place in context with the storyline . Not to mention that the battle system is now more strategic and involving now than ever before , adding a new dimension to the turn based battle system that has been used so much it has become archaic . If there's any negatives to FF XII , it's that the battle system takes some time to get used to , and there are times when exploring and re-tracing your footsteps becomes a chore , but other than that this installment in the long running series has quite a lot going for it : engaging story , lengthy quest , great graphics and sound , and well written and conceived characters . All in all , though the PS2 may be going the way of the dodo , Final Fantasy XII is another game that is going to help it go out in style .
• 124 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I am offically let down by this game . . . I so wanted to love it , but after I got into and played through it , I just couldn't . . . The new battle system is wonderful . . and some of the details in it are awesome as well . . . Like being able to see there weapons on them as there running around . . . But the story . . . . There was no development of the story . . . I had no connection with the characters at all . . . I didn't care if they lived or died . . And I actually stopped playing the game for a like a month cause I just lost interest . . . For me , I was hoping this one would top FF X . . . I thought that was the best game I had ever played . . The music was wonderful . . The music in FFXII was just ok . . It sounded like they took music from every other FF game and just watered it down . . The story on FFX was so capturing I couldn't stop playing it . . . I beat FFX in like a week cause I just couldn't get enough . . Now , I don't want another FFX game just redone , but put some time into the story of the game . . . Thats what FF is all about . . . THE STORY and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT . . . Battle systems are awesome and the enviroment is awesome , but without a great story , all that stuff will just fall flat . . . But hey , thats just this gamers opinion . . . .
• 125 4  I am offically let down by this game . . . I so wanted to love it , but after I got into and played through it , I just couldn't . . . The new battle system is wonderful . . and some of the details in it are awesome as well . . . Like being able to see there weapons on them as there running around . . . But the story . . . . There was no development of the story . . . I had no connection with the characters at all . . . I didn't care if they lived or died . . And I actually stopped playing the game for a like a month cause I just lost interest . . . For me , I was hoping this one would top FF X . . . I thought that was the best game I had ever played . . The music was wonderful . . The music in FFXII was just ok . . It sounded like they took music from every other FF game and just watered it down . . The story on FFX was so capturing I couldn't stop playing it . . . I beat FFX in like a week cause I just couldn't get enough . . Now , I don't want another FFX game just redone , but put some time into the story of the game . . . Thats what FF is all about . . . THE STORY and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT . . . Battle systems are awesome and the enviroment is awesome , but without a great story , all that stuff will just fall flat . . . But hey , thats just this gamers opinion . . . .
• 126 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I was reluctant at first to accept a real-time Final Fantasy . But really , it's not that different than the ATB system that's been used off and on since Final Fantasy IV ( II in the US ) . The major difference is that it's simultaneous , and you don't have to control the other characters if you don't want to . The intriguing and straightforward story is a breath of fresh air after years of Nomura entries , political affairs are always good for the foundation of a decent plot . None of the characters come off as annoying , even Vaan is more bearable than his design would imply . Speaking of design , the game has a very tight style , things rarely look out of place . The model work is fantastic , though you'd be hard pressed to tell when output through a PS2 . I highly reccomend this game to anyone who is interested in the Final Fantasy series , or RPG's in general . It may not be the best starting point , because the battle systems in other games will feel a little clunky after playing this one for many hours .
• 128 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is not a thorough and technical review of this game , I just want to say a few things about my experience with this and other final fantasy games . I am not a fan of final fantasy series nor am I a fan of any series . I am very forgiven when come to video games , the game can have horrible storyline , and I am still ok as long as the gameplay is fun . . . not that I am saying this game has bad storyline , because it does not . I have known about final fantasy since FFVIII , even though I have never played FFVIII , but I love the soundtrack . Final FFXII was the first and so far the only final fantasy game I had played . I tried to play FFVII and FFX , due to the great reviews I had read , probably from the so-called fans of final fantasy , but after a few hours or so I quit . FFVII is too old , I cannot get myself to sit through it to the end and never will , unless there is a remake . FFX has beautiful graphics and lovely characters but I don't like the turned-base battle system . I just don't like to stand idle and wait for all the other characters to take his / her turn before I can take mine , and the whole thing of swooping you to a different location during a battle is annoying . Maybe someday when I have nothing else to do I will try to sit through FFX because I heard it has one of the most beautiful love story in a video game . FFXII is perfect , the graphics are beautiful , the world is huge and very colorful and imaginative , the characters are lovely and the gameplay is fun . This game is long , and with the addition of the gambit system , it's even longer . Not sure what to call it , but this game uses what looks like a semi-active battle system , where your character wait for the gauge to fill up before you can unleash the attacks and the gauge can fill up pretty quickly as you leveled up , so the wait time is not a problem , and most importantly the battles take place in the world you explored and that is how it should be with all RPG games . For those who are new to final fantasy series , FFXII is a perfect start to take a dive into the series .
• 129 4  This is not a thorough and technical review of this game , I just want to say a few things about my experience with this and other final fantasy games . I am not a fan of final fantasy series nor am I a fan of any series . I am very forgiven when come to video games , the game can have horrible storyline , and I am still ok as long as the gameplay is fun . . . not that I am saying this game has bad storyline , because it does not . I have known about final fantasy since FFVIII , even though I have never played FFVIII , but I love the soundtrack . Final FFXII was the first and so far the only final fantasy game I had played . I tried to play FFVII and FFX , due to the great reviews I had read , probably from the so-called fans of final fantasy , but after a few hours or so I quit . FFVII is too old , I cannot get myself to sit through it to the end and never will , unless there is a remake . FFX has beautiful graphics and lovely characters but I don't like the turned-base battle system . I just don't like to stand idle and wait for all the other characters to take his / her turn before I can take mine , and the whole thing of swooping you to a different location during a battle is annoying . Maybe someday when I have nothing else to do I will try to sit through FFX because I heard it has one of the most beautiful love story in a video game . FFXII is perfect , the graphics are beautiful , the world is huge and very colorful and imaginative , the characters are lovely and the gameplay is fun . This game is long , and with the addition of the gambit system , it's even longer . Not sure what to call it , but this game uses what looks like a semi-active battle system , where your character wait for the gauge to fill up before you can unleash the attacks and the gauge can fill up pretty quickly as you leveled up , so the wait time is not a problem , and most importantly the battles take place in the world you explored and that is how it should be with all RPG games . For those who are new to final fantasy series , FFXII is a perfect start to take a dive into the series .
• 130 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Buy this game only if you do not like the variety and depth Final Fantasy VII , VIII , IX , and X were moving towards . Buy it if you liked Vagrant Story . Do not trust the guy who indicates this as the best Final Fantasy - - they want to hunt and eat your pets while you play this game . A great many people lauded Vagrant Story . Were they liars or politically motivated ? I've no assurance they had their sanity . In any case , Final Fantasy XII was a de-evolution , a slow descent away from the quality Square has been working towards . I am almost sure that one concept Final Fantasy XII developers had was to allow multiple endings for each kingdom involved in this struggle . I think this because Final Fantasy XII has all the hallmarks of a game mixing strong RPG , adventure puzzle solving ( albeit poorly wrought adventure puzzles ) , and political grand strategy . It would've been interesting to make decisions for a larger battle than FFVII , FFVIII , Final Fantasy Tactics , and Frontier SAGA II . It would've been even more interesting to struggle against conspiracy in a fantasy world . Just what has my chocobo been telling that mog with the sunglasses and trenchcoat ? The sad thing is that Square-Enix doesn't seem to put much thought into game-play variety and interweaving different game genre . I suppose it's enough struggle for them to come up with a history , a land , and characters . It's not really worth it to fight monsters to do everything in the game . One fights monsters to gain treasure , resources , and really any substance needed . Typical of poorly considered RPG . Guys , it's not the eighties anymore and this game you're showing us is not the best retro-game I've seen . It is fun at times - - at times - - but if there were better games around , I'd not trust my money to Square-Enix . And it's beginning to seem like a crime that smart RPG fans of eld aren't permitted to design their own CRPG . It's only the stupid guys who make an inferior game that seem permitted to make a CRPG . And so here's what we end up with : a bunch of story-games that don't really allow much option in where the story goes . Another way this game suffers is that the user interface and summons system is inferior to every other Final Fantasy game I've played . And the summons really don't play into the story as much as they should . The background of each summons matches , but is this reflected in the way they function in the game ? No . In Final Fantasy X , Summons were beginning to make sense . The music is only acceptable because it's not actively painful . Annoying and redundant , yes it is . The graphics strikes me as less interesting than in Final Fantasy X . The wandering monsters are still without much objective and reason . The spells don't have histories of their own , there's no reason why the equipment items don't have descriptions attached , and above all there's no reason why equipment items are limited in scope to traditional Final Fantasy items except to tie the title to prior games . I would've loved this game had each Final Fantasy improved vastly on the prior game before it . I think they lost the thread of improvement around Final Fantasy X when the card game became a game of logic . At least there was a sport ! And in FFXII , there was nothing but fighting monsters . No sport , no card game , nothing . Also there were no air ships and one couldn't raise ones own chocobo , and they didn't incorporate any of the good ideas from FFXI into this game . What , one couldn't gain a title ? One can in FFXI , not that it means anything . What , one couldn't increase the power of one kingdom at deficit of another ? One can , albeit stupidly , in FFXI . I'd say Square-Enix is losing its beauty and wit , but let's see how FFXIII and XIV turn out first . Maybe a new Frontier SAGA might appear too ! Unless Square-Enix stays stupid . : (
• 131 4  Buy this game only if you do not like the variety and depth Final Fantasy VII , VIII , IX , and X were moving towards . Buy it if you liked Vagrant Story . Do not trust the guy who indicates this as the best Final Fantasy - - they want to hunt and eat your pets while you play this game . A great many people lauded Vagrant Story . Were they liars or politically motivated ? I've no assurance they had their sanity . In any case , Final Fantasy XII was a de-evolution , a slow descent away from the quality Square has been working towards . I am almost sure that one concept Final Fantasy XII developers had was to allow multiple endings for each kingdom involved in this struggle . I think this because Final Fantasy XII has all the hallmarks of a game mixing strong RPG , adventure puzzle solving ( albeit poorly wrought adventure puzzles ) , and political grand strategy . It would've been interesting to make decisions for a larger battle than FFVII , FFVIII , Final Fantasy Tactics , and Frontier SAGA II . It would've been even more interesting to struggle against conspiracy in a fantasy world . Just what has my chocobo been telling that mog with the sunglasses and trenchcoat ? The sad thing is that Square-Enix doesn't seem to put much thought into game-play variety and interweaving different game genre . I suppose it's enough struggle for them to come up with a history , a land , and characters . It's not really worth it to fight monsters to do everything in the game . One fights monsters to gain treasure , resources , and really any substance needed . Typical of poorly considered RPG . Guys , it's not the eighties anymore and this game you're showing us is not the best retro-game I've seen . It is fun at times - - at times - - but if there were better games around , I'd not trust my money to Square-Enix . And it's beginning to seem like a crime that smart RPG fans of eld aren't permitted to design their own CRPG . It's only the stupid guys who make an inferior game that seem permitted to make a CRPG . And so here's what we end up with : a bunch of story-games that don't really allow much option in where the story goes . Another way this game suffers is that the user interface and summons system is inferior to every other Final Fantasy game I've played . And the summons really don't play into the story as much as they should . The background of each summons matches , but is this reflected in the way they function in the game ? No . In Final Fantasy X , Summons were beginning to make sense . The music is only acceptable because it's not actively painful . Annoying and redundant , yes it is . The graphics strikes me as less interesting than in Final Fantasy X . The wandering monsters are still without much objective and reason . The spells don't have histories of their own , there's no reason why the equipment items don't have descriptions attached , and above all there's no reason why equipment items are limited in scope to traditional Final Fantasy items except to tie the title to prior games . I would've loved this game had each Final Fantasy improved vastly on the prior game before it . I think they lost the thread of improvement around Final Fantasy X when the card game became a game of logic . At least there was a sport ! And in FFXII , there was nothing but fighting monsters . No sport , no card game , nothing . Also there were no air ships and one couldn't raise ones own chocobo , and they didn't incorporate any of the good ideas from FFXI into this game . What , one couldn't gain a title ? One can in FFXI , not that it means anything . What , one couldn't increase the power of one kingdom at deficit of another ? One can , albeit stupidly , in FFXI . I'd say Square-Enix is losing its beauty and wit , but let's see how FFXIII and XIV turn out first . Maybe a new Frontier SAGA might appear too ! Unless Square-Enix stays stupid . : (
• 132 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game is probably the best in terms of graphics and storyline , but some of the other features ( such as the battle system ) leave much to be desired . In fact , the battle system is probably the most BORING part of the game . It reminds me of the original Dot Hack game series ' battle system . . . which is just as boring . The bad thing about this game though is that you'll be fighting most of the time due to the game's new system for obtaining money ( along w / new items , equipment , etc . of course ) AND because of this game's achievement system . . . which is a tragedy considering that it's a Final Fantasy game .
• 134 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I rushed out to the stores , skipping school , and shelled out money for the special edition and the strategy guide . Within a month , I still hadn't beaten it , and , in all honesty , had lost interest . . . . Disappointed . Doesn't hold the same draw of the earlier games . I'm barely interested in the characters . The story ? A war ? Wandering through prisons and sewers and run-down areas ? Oh no . Too bad I'm not very into that kind of stuff . . . . Not a bad game , but not my favorite . Not even close . I'd almost rather play Final Fantasy VIII again . I'd rather play Suikoden .
• 135 4  I rushed out to the stores , skipping school , and shelled out money for the special edition and the strategy guide . Within a month , I still hadn't beaten it , and , in all honesty , had lost interest . . . . Disappointed . Doesn't hold the same draw of the earlier games . I'm barely interested in the characters . The story ? A war ? Wandering through prisons and sewers and run-down areas ? Oh no . Too bad I'm not very into that kind of stuff . . . . Not a bad game , but not my favorite . Not even close . I'd almost rather play Final Fantasy VIII again . I'd rather play Suikoden .
• 136 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) It was a welcome sigh of relief when I finally got my hands on this game , having been repelled by my previous encounter with the Final Fantasy series , the unspeakable horror that is X - 2 . Now this game is no FF X or VII , the best of the series , and it's got some glaring faults that give quite a buzz kill , but on the whole it's hard not to be satisfied . With any game this full of depth and complex elements , it helps to break it apart into the various key aspects that make up the FF games . So . . . The Plot : 4 / 5 Starts big and ends big . Too big . The world of FF XII is definitely a fall-back to the older FF days of grand magic infused with futuristic technology , the style of which is very similar to FF VIII . The plot , however , is the most political of all FF games to date , of betrayals and rank climbing and warring countries , and if that sounds a bit chaotic to you , it is . When the big story revelations are made toward the end , you don't feel like it was a logical progression , it feels more of a jump . That aside , the ride is a fun one , if dizzying , and never at any point is it insulting ( * cough * X - 2 ) . Characters : 4.5 / 5 Ahh , the bliss of not having an annoying character in your party that makes you want to strangle every time they open their mouth . The characters are very well realized here , with fairly smart dialogue and intruiging back stories . Even the more annoying character , Vaan , is still fun to watch as he evolves throughout the story . But give it up for my favorite three , Basch , Fran , and especially Balthier , who while a bit over-done at times ( especially Fran's outfit ) , are among some of the more memorable FF characters in the games ' history . Battle / Loot System : 4.5 / 5 The best new addition to the series , easily , is the the battle system . No more waiting your turn as your allies string out in a line - now you're all fighting at once in a fully interactive environment in real-time . Seeing the monsters on the screen instead of having them surprise you accompanied by some fight music is vastly more engaging , and presents new strategies too such as surrounding your opponents or leading them away from a pack to tackle them individually . In addition , the monsters drop some very spiffy ( yes , spiffy ) items and loot , that can be sold to merchants as ingredients for other , even more spiffy items . While searching for rare monsters gets tiresome ( they're not always there when you want them to be ) , I've got nothing but love for the system itself . Speaking of monsters . . . The Beasts and Bosses : 4.5 / 5 My second favorite aspect is the monsters and bosses that are . . . everywhere ! You've never seen so many monsters in a FF game before , in all shapes and sizes , some from previous FF games and others that are so unbelievably difficult it will take you hours to beat just one of them ( remember Omega ? He's back with a whopping 10 million HP , and he's not even the hardest boss ! ) They inhabit levels that are equally brilliant in their size and art , and the hunting side quests take you to every corner of the world ( sadly , like FF X you still can't navigate the world map like you could in earlier FF games ) . I loved the challenge some of the extra bosses provided , and the bosses that come up during the story line are just the right difficulty to make you focus hard and strategize . The Summons : 2.5 / 5 Aaaand here we come to the weakest part of the game , the Espers , aka the summon creatures that so many FF buffs love about each game . But wait , where's Ifrit ? Where's Shiva ? Where's Leviathon and Bahamut ? They're in the game , but not in the forms you think , and no you never summon any of them . Instead we have such memorable names as . . . Shemhazai . And . . . Cuchulainn . And don't forget . . . Adrammelech . Trust me , their powers are equally uninspiring . You can't control them once summoned , they have weak HP / MP , they cost a load of MP for relatively little in return , and worst of all , their special powers animations are practically non-existent ( and those were often among the best animation sequences in earlier installments ! ) I really hope Square Enix learns their lesson after this and reintroduces the classic summons in FF XIII , because the Espers were a mess . Speaking of messes . . . The Characters ' Special Moves : 3 / 5 If you're looking for the overdrive modes or trance modes of previous FF games , they don't exist . Instead you get the MP-devouring Quickenings , a series of highly unreliable animations that resort to button mashing in order to string a chain together to produce a particular level of damage in the form of another animation sequence . Fortunately , those animation sequences are a joy to watch unfold , and each character has his own unique sequence . Unfortunately , they all do the same damage , and did I mention how unreliable they are ? Not to mention you lose all your characters ' MP whether the chain is successful or not , so if the monster or boss isn't dead after , you're a sitting duck . An interesting idea , but ultimately a failure . Save your MP for magic attacks instead . Overall : 4 / 5 Clearly this is not a perfect game , and I'd probably rate it somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 , but I'll round up . However , as an RPG it still ranks above pretty much everything else that's come out in the last few years , and when all is said and done , is a worthy addition to the Final Fantasy series . Let's just hope we can summon Bahamut in the next one . . .
• 137 4  It was a welcome sigh of relief when I finally got my hands on this game , having been repelled by my previous encounter with the Final Fantasy series , the unspeakable horror that is X - 2 . Now this game is no FF X or VII , the best of the series , and it's got some glaring faults that give quite a buzz kill , but on the whole it's hard not to be satisfied . With any game this full of depth and complex elements , it helps to break it apart into the various key aspects that make up the FF games . So . . . The Plot : 4 / 5 Starts big and ends big . Too big . The world of FF XII is definitely a fall-back to the older FF days of grand magic infused with futuristic technology , the style of which is very similar to FF VIII . The plot , however , is the most political of all FF games to date , of betrayals and rank climbing and warring countries , and if that sounds a bit chaotic to you , it is . When the big story revelations are made toward the end , you don't feel like it was a logical progression , it feels more of a jump . That aside , the ride is a fun one , if dizzying , and never at any point is it insulting ( * cough * X - 2 ) . Characters : 4.5 / 5 Ahh , the bliss of not having an annoying character in your party that makes you want to strangle every time they open their mouth . The characters are very well realized here , with fairly smart dialogue and intruiging back stories . Even the more annoying character , Vaan , is still fun to watch as he evolves throughout the story . But give it up for my favorite three , Basch , Fran , and especially Balthier , who while a bit over-done at times ( especially Fran's outfit ) , are among some of the more memorable FF characters in the games ' history . Battle / Loot System : 4.5 / 5 The best new addition to the series , easily , is the the battle system . No more waiting your turn as your allies string out in a line - now you're all fighting at once in a fully interactive environment in real-time . Seeing the monsters on the screen instead of having them surprise you accompanied by some fight music is vastly more engaging , and presents new strategies too such as surrounding your opponents or leading them away from a pack to tackle them individually . In addition , the monsters drop some very spiffy ( yes , spiffy ) items and loot , that can be sold to merchants as ingredients for other , even more spiffy items . While searching for rare monsters gets tiresome ( they're not always there when you want them to be ) , I've got nothing but love for the system itself . Speaking of monsters . . . The Beasts and Bosses : 4.5 / 5 My second favorite aspect is the monsters and bosses that are . . . everywhere ! You've never seen so many monsters in a FF game before , in all shapes and sizes , some from previous FF games and others that are so unbelievably difficult it will take you hours to beat just one of them ( remember Omega ? He's back with a whopping 10 million HP , and he's not even the hardest boss ! ) They inhabit levels that are equally brilliant in their size and art , and the hunting side quests take you to every corner of the world ( sadly , like FF X you still can't navigate the world map like you could in earlier FF games ) . I loved the challenge some of the extra bosses provided , and the bosses that come up during the story line are just the right difficulty to make you focus hard and strategize . The Summons : 2.5 / 5 Aaaand here we come to the weakest part of the game , the Espers , aka the summon creatures that so many FF buffs love about each game . But wait , where's Ifrit ? Where's Shiva ? Where's Leviathon and Bahamut ? They're in the game , but not in the forms you think , and no you never summon any of them . Instead we have such memorable names as . . . Shemhazai . And . . . Cuchulainn . And don't forget . . . Adrammelech . Trust me , their powers are equally uninspiring . You can't control them once summoned , they have weak HP / MP , they cost a load of MP for relatively little in return , and worst of all , their special powers animations are practically non-existent ( and those were often among the best animation sequences in earlier installments ! ) I really hope Square Enix learns their lesson after this and reintroduces the classic summons in FF XIII , because the Espers were a mess . Speaking of messes . . . The Characters ' Special Moves : 3 / 5 If you're looking for the overdrive modes or trance modes of previous FF games , they don't exist . Instead you get the MP-devouring Quickenings , a series of highly unreliable animations that resort to button mashing in order to string a chain together to produce a particular level of damage in the form of another animation sequence . Fortunately , those animation sequences are a joy to watch unfold , and each character has his own unique sequence . Unfortunately , they all do the same damage , and did I mention how unreliable they are ? Not to mention you lose all your characters ' MP whether the chain is successful or not , so if the monster or boss isn't dead after , you're a sitting duck . An interesting idea , but ultimately a failure . Save your MP for magic attacks instead . Overall : 4 / 5 Clearly this is not a perfect game , and I'd probably rate it somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 , but I'll round up . However , as an RPG it still ranks above pretty much everything else that's come out in the last few years , and when all is said and done , is a worthy addition to the Final Fantasy series . Let's just hope we can summon Bahamut in the next one . . .
• 138 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Before going on with the review , I'd like to say that I've been a fan of the Final Fantasy series since Final Fantasy VI came out , I've played and finished every FF from FF4 to FF10 and based on the reviews I had read about FFXII , I was kind of scared when I received the game from amazon and put it in my PS2 . Let me tell you , the fear dissipated very fast . Let's start with gameplay ! The new battle system is very smooth , I certainly didn't mind the random encounters ! The gambit system ( the AI that you set up for your party characters ) is fairly intuitive and once you understand , it makes leveling up and fighting in general very enjoyable . A minor set back is the loading time on black magic spells , which make them less efficient than physical attacks , except when dealing with multiple foes . Another problem is the camera angles , which can be realy hard to adjust to and when battling big bosses ( and there's some really big ones ) or big beasts , it is near impossible to find an angle to see the monster properly . But it's something you get used to and it doesn't take any enjoyment out of the game . Gamers who enjoy side quests will certainly love this game , as there is well over 100 hours ' worth of optional stuff to complete including some very challenging bosses ( some of the most challenging in the history of the series ) and a pretty fun mini-game ( fishing ) . One drawback , which I think is a bit shameful of Square , is that some of the side quests will be near impossible ( if not impossible period ) to complete without the strategy guide , particularly regarding some of the best weapons in the game . I highly recommend that you buy the guide along with the game . Now , onto the graphics . The game , esthetically , is simply gorgeous . The environments are very detailed , every city has a distinct personality and architecture , as do the temples and dungeons . The CG scenes are breathtaking , as is expected of Square . The ending sequences were probably the best of the series , in my opinion anyway . Another plus is the voice acting and dialogue , with are top notch . For the first time in the history of FF , the dialogue is actually interesting ! The voice acting is so much better than FFX's , it's in sync with the lip movement , and the actors are quite good , particularly Balthier ( a sky pirate who I must say is probably the coolest FF character in a loooooong time ) . Now the plot , which is a very important part of an RPG . I read many reviews of people who were disappointed by the story and the character development . Now it is true that the core of the game is not a love story as it was in FFVIII and FFX ( something I am personally thankful for ) and it wasn't as much a story of ' save the world from total absolute annihilation ! ' as it was in FFVII . But the plot is actually quite mature , with political intrigue , clever dialogue , an interesting history as well as mythology , and a lot of detail about the different world cultures given by all the NPCs in the different locations of the world . As far as setting goes , FF fans should feel right at ease as moogles , airships and chocobos are once again present . While I do think some things could have been developped further and that the characters ' backgrounds could have been elaborated on more ( Vaan who serves as main character is not as central to the main plotline as some of the other characters of the cast ) , but I think the plot is the most mature yet in a FF game and I hope they continue in this direction . Also , there is a bestiary section in the in-game menu which gives you access to extra information about places , people , monsters and events in the game , adding a level of detail to FFXII's world and plot unparalleled in any other game of the series . To sum it up , this game is one of the best game in the series , previous fans of Final Fantasy will find many elements to make them feel at ease in the environment , and new players to the series will probably have an easier time adapting to this than FFX or previous installements ( mostly due to the disappearance of the random encounter system ) . The gameplay is fun , the battles challenging , 120 + hours of play guaranteed ( up to 150 the first time around ) . The storyline is complex and mature , the graphics are better than any other in the series . In other words , if you're an RPG fan , this game is a must buy . 5 stars , despite its few faults . Remember to buy the guide along with it , I know it feels like it a rip off , but there's a few things you'll most likely miss out on without it . It's truly a huge game , so it's worth paying a little extra for it .
• 139 4  Before going on with the review , I'd like to say that I've been a fan of the Final Fantasy series since Final Fantasy VI came out , I've played and finished every FF from FF4 to FF10 and based on the reviews I had read about FFXII , I was kind of scared when I received the game from amazon and put it in my PS2 . Let me tell you , the fear dissipated very fast . Let's start with gameplay ! The new battle system is very smooth , I certainly didn't mind the random encounters ! The gambit system ( the AI that you set up for your party characters ) is fairly intuitive and once you understand , it makes leveling up and fighting in general very enjoyable . A minor set back is the loading time on black magic spells , which make them less efficient than physical attacks , except when dealing with multiple foes . Another problem is the camera angles , which can be realy hard to adjust to and when battling big bosses ( and there's some really big ones ) or big beasts , it is near impossible to find an angle to see the monster properly . But it's something you get used to and it doesn't take any enjoyment out of the game . Gamers who enjoy side quests will certainly love this game , as there is well over 100 hours ' worth of optional stuff to complete including some very challenging bosses ( some of the most challenging in the history of the series ) and a pretty fun mini-game ( fishing ) . One drawback , which I think is a bit shameful of Square , is that some of the side quests will be near impossible ( if not impossible period ) to complete without the strategy guide , particularly regarding some of the best weapons in the game . I highly recommend that you buy the guide along with the game . Now , onto the graphics . The game , esthetically , is simply gorgeous . The environments are very detailed , every city has a distinct personality and architecture , as do the temples and dungeons . The CG scenes are breathtaking , as is expected of Square . The ending sequences were probably the best of the series , in my opinion anyway . Another plus is the voice acting and dialogue , with are top notch . For the first time in the history of FF , the dialogue is actually interesting ! The voice acting is so much better than FFX's , it's in sync with the lip movement , and the actors are quite good , particularly Balthier ( a sky pirate who I must say is probably the coolest FF character in a loooooong time ) . Now the plot , which is a very important part of an RPG . I read many reviews of people who were disappointed by the story and the character development . Now it is true that the core of the game is not a love story as it was in FFVIII and FFX ( something I am personally thankful for ) and it wasn't as much a story of ' save the world from total absolute annihilation ! ' as it was in FFVII . But the plot is actually quite mature , with political intrigue , clever dialogue , an interesting history as well as mythology , and a lot of detail about the different world cultures given by all the NPCs in the different locations of the world . As far as setting goes , FF fans should feel right at ease as moogles , airships and chocobos are once again present . While I do think some things could have been developped further and that the characters ' backgrounds could have been elaborated on more ( Vaan who serves as main character is not as central to the main plotline as some of the other characters of the cast ) , but I think the plot is the most mature yet in a FF game and I hope they continue in this direction . Also , there is a bestiary section in the in-game menu which gives you access to extra information about places , people , monsters and events in the game , adding a level of detail to FFXII's world and plot unparalleled in any other game of the series . To sum it up , this game is one of the best game in the series , previous fans of Final Fantasy will find many elements to make them feel at ease in the environment , and new players to the series will probably have an easier time adapting to this than FFX or previous installements ( mostly due to the disappearance of the random encounter system ) . The gameplay is fun , the battles challenging , 120 + hours of play guaranteed ( up to 150 the first time around ) . The storyline is complex and mature , the graphics are better than any other in the series . In other words , if you're an RPG fan , this game is a must buy . 5 stars , despite its few faults . Remember to buy the guide along with it , I know it feels like it a rip off , but there's a few things you'll most likely miss out on without it . It's truly a huge game , so it's worth paying a little extra for it .
• 140 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is probably in my opinion one of the better Action / RPG games on PS2 . The story line is great , the characters are great and the action is endless .
• 141 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is probably in my opinion one of the better Action / RPG games on PS2 . The story line is great , the characters are great and the action is endless .
• 145 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This review is for all the people who gave this game a 1 or 2 . The story is phenomenal ( although i will admit i may be a little bias from m love of FFT ) . The main the grievance is the gameplay , how its like the game is always on autopilot . I admit the gambit system is dumb . Its for people who wana just watch the game . However the idea of manual control is good . You cannot play it like you play other FF games . You cant take a hour to make one move . Like a real fight you have to think quickly . Thats the point of the gameplay . Stop Complaining .
• 146 4  This review is for all the people who gave this game a 1 or 2 . The story is phenomenal ( although i will admit i may be a little bias from m love of FFT ) . The main the grievance is the gameplay , how its like the game is always on autopilot . I admit the gambit system is dumb . Its for people who wana just watch the game . However the idea of manual control is good . You cannot play it like you play other FF games . You cant take a hour to make one move . Like a real fight you have to think quickly . Thats the point of the gameplay . Stop Complaining .
• 151 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I don't believe RPGs should be held to the same scale as most other games . Yes , entertainment value is wonderful but if you play the game , beat it , and then don't have your world view at least shaken a bit by the game it's just an empty shell with pretty visuals . That said , Final Fantasy XII is a fun game . It has some interesting side quests such as the hunting quests ( you're given a task to hunt down some beast which is generally much harder than normal beasts ) and it all around keeps you somewhat interested from the get-go . The characters , however , are rubbish . The only really interesting character is the pirate character who seems to have a larger part in the story than even Vaan who is is the main character . Vaan's character in general will remind you somewhat of Tidus from Final Fantasy X although he whines a lot less . His whole character motivation , and this doesn't change at all throughout the story , he wants to leave the town and be the captain of a ship . The leading man in this story is a boy who whines from time to time but has no real impact on the story . The story is also very predictable and while there are lots of interesting things to do and places to explore you'll find yourself guessing what's to come prior to it happening . Graphics and sound are wonderful and so is the gameplay so the game is not a huge loss . It's a very pretty game and perhaps it worth playing if only for the innovative parts of it but , again , you won't walk away feeling like the game was a huge addition to the series . The battle system is perhaps the most unique piece of the game though . Instead of pulling you away from the world map or forcing you to face random enemies as historically done by the franchise the game has real time fighting with a semi turn based core . You still have the same menu you've historically had but you'll just have to select the enemy and your attacks will hit as it's your turn again . There are two drawbacks to this system , in my opinion , however . The first is that the fighting , at times , seems to be a lot less frantic as in the other games in the series . From time to time I'd die , yes , but in the former games in the series there were always battles where the enemy would unleash something devastating across my whole party but with this system it's usually avoidable and less dramatic . The second is that the game feels like a MMORPG at times ( if that was the intent ? ) . I just thought it was kind of weird but some people may enjoy that feeling . The rest generally has been said in other reviews so I'll leave this at this . All in all , it's a fun game with lots of innovative new changes on the core Final Fantasy system . It's nothing too great , however , story wise so while I do suggest playing it I just want to warn it's nothing on the level of the other Final Fantasy games in the series .
• 152 4  I don't believe RPGs should be held to the same scale as most other games . Yes , entertainment value is wonderful but if you play the game , beat it , and then don't have your world view at least shaken a bit by the game it's just an empty shell with pretty visuals . That said , Final Fantasy XII is a fun game . It has some interesting side quests such as the hunting quests ( you're given a task to hunt down some beast which is generally much harder than normal beasts ) and it all around keeps you somewhat interested from the get-go . The characters , however , are rubbish . The only really interesting character is the pirate character who seems to have a larger part in the story than even Vaan who is is the main character . Vaan's character in general will remind you somewhat of Tidus from Final Fantasy X although he whines a lot less . His whole character motivation , and this doesn't change at all throughout the story , he wants to leave the town and be the captain of a ship . The leading man in this story is a boy who whines from time to time but has no real impact on the story . The story is also very predictable and while there are lots of interesting things to do and places to explore you'll find yourself guessing what's to come prior to it happening . Graphics and sound are wonderful and so is the gameplay so the game is not a huge loss . It's a very pretty game and perhaps it worth playing if only for the innovative parts of it but , again , you won't walk away feeling like the game was a huge addition to the series . The battle system is perhaps the most unique piece of the game though . Instead of pulling you away from the world map or forcing you to face random enemies as historically done by the franchise the game has real time fighting with a semi turn based core . You still have the same menu you've historically had but you'll just have to select the enemy and your attacks will hit as it's your turn again . There are two drawbacks to this system , in my opinion , however . The first is that the fighting , at times , seems to be a lot less frantic as in the other games in the series . From time to time I'd die , yes , but in the former games in the series there were always battles where the enemy would unleash something devastating across my whole party but with this system it's usually avoidable and less dramatic . The second is that the game feels like a MMORPG at times ( if that was the intent ? ) . I just thought it was kind of weird but some people may enjoy that feeling . The rest generally has been said in other reviews so I'll leave this at this . All in all , it's a fun game with lots of innovative new changes on the core Final Fantasy system . It's nothing too great , however , story wise so while I do suggest playing it I just want to warn it's nothing on the level of the other Final Fantasy games in the series .
• 153 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I played final Fantasy XII , and i got so hooked on it . This game is a must have for any final fantasy junkie . the way skills are learned , number ways of leveling up and setting up your characters anyway you want is a huge plus .
• 155 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) only about halfway through the game and I'm already pointing at every new character and declaring that they will betray me . . . i don't know if i should hate the main villain or join him . . . i enjoyed this a lot already , it will take some work for me to hate the game by the end .
• 157 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Incredible graphics , voice acting , and storyline . Awesome new battle system really keeps the game moving . Plenty of side quests for those who wish to make the most of the game . Easily the best RPG I've ever played .
• 161 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) The wealth of content available on this title is certainly overwhelming for those pressed for time . However , it's clear that a lot went into delivering and including as much content as possible into this title . A multitude of bonus bosses , hidden enemies , and customization options exist for those with the time available to chase after them . Unfortunately , that was not the case for me . : ( In critique of the game , I offer that the story itself is rather bland at many points , nothing that really captivates or draws the player in . While the visuals shine - as is the de-facto-standard for FF-series iterations - the story itself seems underpolished , the characters feel distanced from the player , as if one could care less about what kind of a mess they got into next . This is all I can really say with all I've played , perhaps 20 hours of the game . For what it has to offer though , this game definitely earns at least a 4 .
• 162 4  The wealth of content available on this title is certainly overwhelming for those pressed for time . However , it's clear that a lot went into delivering and including as much content as possible into this title . A multitude of bonus bosses , hidden enemies , and customization options exist for those with the time available to chase after them . Unfortunately , that was not the case for me . : ( In critique of the game , I offer that the story itself is rather bland at many points , nothing that really captivates or draws the player in . While the visuals shine - as is the de-facto-standard for FF-series iterations - the story itself seems underpolished , the characters feel distanced from the player , as if one could care less about what kind of a mess they got into next . This is all I can really say with all I've played , perhaps 20 hours of the game . For what it has to offer though , this game definitely earns at least a 4 .
• 163 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) It is undeniable that Final Fantasy XII is fun . The characters are very interesting , and the game play is exciting and challenging , while not ever being frustrating . The short movies are excellent and the side quests are very enjoyable . It's just that I found that once I got about 70% through the game I just began to feel it was a bit tedious , maybe repetitive , and began to slowly lose interest . After speaking with a few friends about their FFXII endeavors I found that this ' wain of interest ' was very common . It seems that while the characters are compelling enough , the story itself is not , and you begin to lose interest in the what-will-happen-next factor . It is by no means a bad game and I loved , loved , loved the battle command setup . I also adored the fact that the player had only to run up to an enemy and start slicing away rather than wait until the game pulled the characters into a battle with the dream sequence spiral effect and battle music . If you loved the story line and sense of completion with FFX you may find yourself searching for the same feeling in XII . My experience is that it may be very difficult for you to find .
• 164 4  It is undeniable that Final Fantasy XII is fun . The characters are very interesting , and the game play is exciting and challenging , while not ever being frustrating . The short movies are excellent and the side quests are very enjoyable . It's just that I found that once I got about 70% through the game I just began to feel it was a bit tedious , maybe repetitive , and began to slowly lose interest . After speaking with a few friends about their FFXII endeavors I found that this ' wain of interest ' was very common . It seems that while the characters are compelling enough , the story itself is not , and you begin to lose interest in the what-will-happen-next factor . It is by no means a bad game and I loved , loved , loved the battle command setup . I also adored the fact that the player had only to run up to an enemy and start slicing away rather than wait until the game pulled the characters into a battle with the dream sequence spiral effect and battle music . If you loved the story line and sense of completion with FFX you may find yourself searching for the same feeling in XII . My experience is that it may be very difficult for you to find .
• 165 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Before i bought this game I played the demo from the Dragon Quest . The game was interesting so I decide to buy it . The storyline is even better than I expected . The story is about the struggles of Princess Ashe as she attempts to restore the fallen kingdom of Dalmasca , along with Vaan , a boy who wishes to become a sky pirate also accompanied by his friend Penelo , a silver tongued sky pirate named Balthier and his viera partner Fran , and Basch , a former heroic knight branded a traitor . The camera view is entirely different from all the othe FF games . you get to move around freely in a 3d environment instead of in a fixed camera angle . Random enemy encounters are eliminated so you can engage the enemy if you feel like it . The battle system is unique where you have real time battle , but not like kingdomhearts though . You still have commands and a gauge that charges until a command is executed . Level up remains the same . Characters can learn techniques and magic by getting a licsense for it on the liscense board and later purchasing the technique or magic at a shop . Skills can also be learned on the board that augments the character's ability and stats . Also , you can only equip weapons , armor , and acc . only of you have the liscence for it . ( I think it's stupid ) So if you bought the equipment but don't have the licsense for it you can't equip it.Gil is earned by huntimg monsters and selling loot . Also some things I forgot to mention earlier is that the story is more about politics and no romance will be involved . The graphics have been enhanced . Music is played the same style as FF tactics . overall the game is very good and is a game that can be enjoyed over and over .
• 166 4  Before i bought this game I played the demo from the Dragon Quest . The game was interesting so I decide to buy it . The storyline is even better than I expected . The story is about the struggles of Princess Ashe as she attempts to restore the fallen kingdom of Dalmasca , along with Vaan , a boy who wishes to become a sky pirate also accompanied by his friend Penelo , a silver tongued sky pirate named Balthier and his viera partner Fran , and Basch , a former heroic knight branded a traitor . The camera view is entirely different from all the othe FF games . you get to move around freely in a 3d environment instead of in a fixed camera angle . Random enemy encounters are eliminated so you can engage the enemy if you feel like it . The battle system is unique where you have real time battle , but not like kingdomhearts though . You still have commands and a gauge that charges until a command is executed . Level up remains the same . Characters can learn techniques and magic by getting a licsense for it on the liscense board and later purchasing the technique or magic at a shop . Skills can also be learned on the board that augments the character's ability and stats . Also , you can only equip weapons , armor , and acc . only of you have the liscence for it . ( I think it's stupid ) So if you bought the equipment but don't have the licsense for it you can't equip it.Gil is earned by huntimg monsters and selling loot . Also some things I forgot to mention earlier is that the story is more about politics and no romance will be involved . The graphics have been enhanced . Music is played the same style as FF tactics . overall the game is very good and is a game that can be enjoyed over and over .
• 167 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Well i just finished the game a little while ago and i must say that the game was really good . Yes , the espers arent really necessary ( i never really used them ) and the dungeon maps are quite vast but i believe this is the best FF game yet . At first i hated the fact that it is really hard to get gil and you need license points for weapons and abilities and etc , but after a while i learned to love it . Its easy getting a lot of license points as long as you keep fighting in battle . Also , yes you have to sell loot in order to get money but alot of the loot sells for a good amount so i was able to rack up over 100,000 gil . Weapons are very expensive so money goes fast but just sell the items you dont need anymore to gain more money . In the end the graphics were incredible and the battle system was new and sharp . Sometimes i didnt like the camera angles but that is a minor flaw . I loved this game and i was actually quite sad once i ended it . FF 13 is for the PS3 and honestly i cant afford that . But Final Fantasy 12 was a great game , the best in the legacy of Final Fantasy .
• 168 4  Well i just finished the game a little while ago and i must say that the game was really good . Yes , the espers arent really necessary ( i never really used them ) and the dungeon maps are quite vast but i believe this is the best FF game yet . At first i hated the fact that it is really hard to get gil and you need license points for weapons and abilities and etc , but after a while i learned to love it . Its easy getting a lot of license points as long as you keep fighting in battle . Also , yes you have to sell loot in order to get money but alot of the loot sells for a good amount so i was able to rack up over 100,000 gil . Weapons are very expensive so money goes fast but just sell the items you dont need anymore to gain more money . In the end the graphics were incredible and the battle system was new and sharp . Sometimes i didnt like the camera angles but that is a minor flaw . I loved this game and i was actually quite sad once i ended it . FF 13 is for the PS3 and honestly i cant afford that . But Final Fantasy 12 was a great game , the best in the legacy of Final Fantasy .
• 169 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) The game was intruiging from the start with the opening for a classic final fantasy story line . A few characters , so far , have hinted at some depth and possible development through the story line . The new battle system is awesome . It took a few seconds to get used to it but my wife and I love it . There is so much to do in this game and the side quests are almost as fun as the story line . The scenery is fantastic and the rendering and animation is what I call final fantasy quality . This is a game where you can explore for hours without getting bored . This is a hard game to put down .
• 171 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Ok , at the beginning I wasn't sure at all if I liked this game or not , but once I figured out the new gambit system it made things a lot easier . The cinematics were really good but I think the story line was a bit confusing and hard to follow what the hell was going on . That was really the only thing I didnt like about it , oh and also the quickenings got really repetitive after a while I was there was a skip for that as well . But overall without the strategy guide It took me a great deal of time to finish the game which I really like in final fantasty games , so I recommend the game to all FF fans and newcomers as well .
• 172 4  Ok , at the beginning I wasn't sure at all if I liked this game or not , but once I figured out the new gambit system it made things a lot easier . The cinematics were really good but I think the story line was a bit confusing and hard to follow what the hell was going on . That was really the only thing I didnt like about it , oh and also the quickenings got really repetitive after a while I was there was a skip for that as well . But overall without the strategy guide It took me a great deal of time to finish the game which I really like in final fantasty games , so I recommend the game to all FF fans and newcomers as well .
• 173 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) My husband and I hadn't played Final Fantasy games since the old Nintendo versions , but we bought this when we bought a PlayStation 2 for our son for Xmas . Wow ! Have these games changed ! They were fun before , but now they are visually amazing too and still incredibly fun ! We have stressful lives , but for a few minutes ( which can easily turn into a few hours ) a day we can travel to distant lands , gather treasure , fight monsters successfully , spend money at all sorts of shops , and quest to save the world - - all without getting out of your PJs ! Where else can you do all this over a period of several months for 50 bucks ? ? We'll definitely buy FF 11 when we are done with this one
• 174 4  My husband and I hadn't played Final Fantasy games since the old Nintendo versions , but we bought this when we bought a PlayStation 2 for our son for Xmas . Wow ! Have these games changed ! They were fun before , but now they are visually amazing too and still incredibly fun ! We have stressful lives , but for a few minutes ( which can easily turn into a few hours ) a day we can travel to distant lands , gather treasure , fight monsters successfully , spend money at all sorts of shops , and quest to save the world - - all without getting out of your PJs ! Where else can you do all this over a period of several months for 50 bucks ? ? We'll definitely buy FF 11 when we are done with this one
• 175 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Bought it for my daughter . She really love to play it . Worth the expense .
• 177 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) FFXII is a lot of fun . There are a lot of changes , especially to the battle system , but as usual Square-Enix delivers a quality product . There are tons of extra sidequests to do which is always a plus for me . If you've played FFXI you'll notice a lot of similarities . Here are some pros and cons when comparing this game to the rest in the series . Pros : - Best graphics of any game in the series , visuals are stunning . - A very deep and intricate storyline . Probably rivals FF Tactics in terms of story . - License system is new and different , which adds some innovation . Cons : - Music is probably the worst of any game in the series , including even the NES versions . What I mean by that is , the music isn't horrible , but none of the songs stick in my head . I've been playing for 45 hours and I can't hum a single song . - The lack of a world map makes running around everywhere annoying . Luckily there are teleport crystals . - I miss the random battles , but this system does use this new setup to add new types of quests you could do . Overall this is a great game and worth the buy . They can't all be FFVI's and I realize that so I won't try to hold it to that kind of standard . But Squenix does have a standard for the FF games and this one lives up to it .
• 178 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) FFXII is a lot of fun . There are a lot of changes , especially to the battle system , but as usual Square-Enix delivers a quality product . There are tons of extra sidequests to do which is always a plus for me . If you've played FFXI you'll notice a lot of similarities . Here are some pros and cons when comparing this game to the rest in the series . Pros : - Best graphics of any game in the series , visuals are stunning . - A very deep and intricate storyline . Probably rivals FF Tactics in terms of story . - License system is new and different , which adds some innovation . Cons : - Music is probably the worst of any game in the series , including even the NES versions . What I mean by that is , the music isn't horrible , but none of the songs stick in my head . I've been playing for 45 hours and I can't hum a single song . - The lack of a world map makes running around everywhere annoying . Luckily there are teleport crystals . - I miss the random battles , but this system does use this new setup to add new types of quests you could do . Overall this is a great game and worth the buy . They can't all be FFVI's and I realize that so I won't try to hold it to that kind of standard . But Squenix does have a standard for the FF games and this one lives up to it .
• 179 4  FFXII is a lot of fun . There are a lot of changes , especially to the battle system , but as usual Square-Enix delivers a quality product . There are tons of extra sidequests to do which is always a plus for me . If you've played FFXI you'll notice a lot of similarities . Here are some pros and cons when comparing this game to the rest in the series . Pros : - Best graphics of any game in the series , visuals are stunning . - A very deep and intricate storyline . Probably rivals FF Tactics in terms of story . - License system is new and different , which adds some innovation . Cons : - Music is probably the worst of any game in the series , including even the NES versions . What I mean by that is , the music isn't horrible , but none of the songs stick in my head . I've been playing for 45 hours and I can't hum a single song . - The lack of a world map makes running around everywhere annoying . Luckily there are teleport crystals . - I miss the random battles , but this system does use this new setup to add new types of quests you could do . Overall this is a great game and worth the buy . They can't all be FFVI's and I realize that so I won't try to hold it to that kind of standard . But Squenix does have a standard for the FF games and this one lives up to it .
• 181 4  One play through of FF12 will leave most gamers understanding what five years of development can cause for a game . In Final Fantasy 12 ' s case , the result is a mammoth product that which requires more play hours than possibly even some MMORPG's for casual gamers . But aside from the numerous tasks for the player's enjoyment , FF12 has an underlying feel of perfection and caliber that which almost all of the last games on the PS2 will not come close to . Take for example the detail put into the graphics on screen and the animations of the very townsfolk in all of the towns . It is rare to see a game feature towns full of people doing so many different things besides just walking around and waiting for you to talk to them . Now it feels as if almost all of the NPCs in a select location have their own personalities and daily going-ons besides waiting for some strange person to approach them and start a conversation . And going back to the graphics - the graphics in FF12 are superb . The art form is not the same as it was on say FF10 , but the solid rendering and work that has gone into making the very real time gaming action is just unaccustomed for most games . Just by looking at this , you can tell it is a Final Fantasy game and not some run of the mill RPG put out by another company . The action itself is probably what most gamers will have something to say about . The Active Dimension Battle System causes the player to break away from the standard turn based action of yesterday RPGs and adapt a more real time approach , similar to that of the systems employed by most MMORPGs these days . The only difference in FF12 is that the player still has to select commands from menus and wait for attacks to finish charging . It is an evolution for the standard Final Fantasy game , and it is a welcome one as well . While some conventions are not as well addressed as they were in FF10 ( summons , HP and damage limits ) , the game manages to do enough to make one feel that this is easily the future for Final Fantasy and RPGs in general . Other parts of the game play feel a little worn out and annoying however . The treasure chest system for the most part will leave many players feeling annoyed and tired after having to come to understand the sheer randomness of the treasures . And that is just what it is , the chests are placed randomly on the map and their contents are based on random probabilities . Some of them do not even reappear once opened , so players may have to reset the game and keep opening the chest until they get what they want . Another time waster like the treasure chest system is the Bazaar system , which requires the player to kill numerous monsters to get particular items that the monsters drop upon death . The chance of the monster dropping it is again based on random probability . Once the item is obtained , the player has to sell it to vendors and hope to figure out the right combination of items to make the vendors sell a superior item in the Bazaar . And sadly , some of the more powerful weapons in the game are only obtainable through the bazaar . And the game's random drop probability does not just end with the sell-able items . Some of the better weapons and armor can only be obtained from random monster drops . And to complicate this even more , some of those random drops come from hard to find randomly appearing monsters ! While it is too late now to make a change of this , it is easy to see that in future Final Fantasy games , Square-Enix could do more to change the way powerful items are obtained rather than using tired old MMORPG time eater tricks . The last thing to touch upon is probably the sound . While some of the songs could use to be longer and the casting for the voice actors is questionable on some parts , for the most part , the game puts on a very satisfying performance . Final Fantasy 12 is a unique experience , but it is also a long one . In order to completely complete this game , one will have to brace for at least 150 hours of play time ; and that is just a light estimate . 200 hours is more likely for those who do not use game guides , so be prepared for a unique experience that is unlike any RPG you have played before .
• 184 4  First , a quick review of the game overall and the gameplay . The gameplay surprised me pleasantly after the intial shock of how different it was . I would go so far as to call it addicting . The cities are massive and I can tell I am missing most of the secrets / side quests by just sticking to the main storyline . Replay value is excellent - I've already started playing again . I totally agree with the many reviewers on here who've said that it's the story & characters that matter most with these games . A little perspective on my preference : I've played V , VII , VIII , IX , X , X - 2 . VII , VIII , & X are wonderful IMO . Enjoyed IX in spite of the more juvinile feeling until the plot stopped making sense to me , and absolutely LOATHED X - 2 I am sad to say . Anyways . . . my main point . I will use two words to describe the plot in this game : subtle and intricate . Now I'll be honest . I'm not sure I followed the whole Venar ( ? ) / Ocuria ( ? ) thing , but I think I got it in essense . As many have said , this is a more realistic game , the least like anime of all of them . It has a distinctly political bent ( thankfully , we're not talking preachy political here ) . Again , I was surprised that different could be this good . The voice acting - or maybe I will just say acting , because a lot of the time you forget you are playing a game - is as close to perfect as I have ever seen . Balthier , of course , being the standout for his cavalier humor . I also loved the subtlety of Basch's character . We are left to conjecture on many points , especially concerning his past and his brother . Fran and Penelo - also excellent . While I liked Ashe and Vaan , I thought they were slightly overshadowed by the coolness of the other characters . Excellent side characters : Gabranth , Ondore , Larsa . The writing / dialog IS perfect , one or two iffy lines aside . Another complaint I read is that there is no romance . I would disagree . There are really 2 obvious couples here , and 1 that is not-so-obvious ( and therefore more interesting ) . Balthier and Fran are fairly in-your-face . Vaan and Penelo seemed more like siblings to me , quite honestly , but I never doubted that they were an item . Now this may just be my opinion , but I suspect Basch might have been in love with Ashe from the beginning . Like I said - it's subtle ; you have to watch & listen carefully throughout the game . Pay close attention to the ending . Notice that Ashe removes her wedding ring as we're obviously supposed to assume she is thinking about him . Notice his reaction when he reads that she misses him . It reminds me of that short story The Lady or the Tiger - we are left to guess what will happen next . Will he decide to keep the oath he made to Larsa or will he go back to her ? Now maybe this doesn't work for some people , but I think it's great . So I guess the bottom line is , you're going to need patience to really appreciate this game . Not because it is frustrating , but because of its depth of plot and character . Truly a masterpiece .
• 185 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Once again , a great game , a great story . The maps are a bit less than wonderful , but the game is terrific . Just right for long winter days !
• 187 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy 12 is a very good game . It is very good even judged by the high standards set by its peers . But it does have some significant flaws . Story ( 7 / 10 ) - The first half of the game set the stage for a very solid storyline . The presentation of the game is outstanding - the voices are a remarkable improvement over the poor voice acting from FFX . The interaction between the characters feels very realistic and was enjoyable to watch , with a solid balance of serious , emotional scenes to witty and well timed humor . However , the high expectations for a solid story and and well-developed characters is not met in the second half . The most glaring story deficiency is surprisingly found in the main characters : by the end of the game , you really start to wonder why Vaan and Penelo are sticking around . They don't contribute much at all to the main plot , and their young age compared to the other mature party members really begs for a better explanation of why exactly their running with this rag-tag crew . Graphics / Sound ( 9 / 10 ) - The graphics of Square's latest Final Fantasy is superb . Prior installments of the Final Fantasy scenes really show the developer's improvement in the realm of computer animation . The character movements are much more detailed and realistic , leaving behind the awkward body gestures from FFX . The sound effects are your standard rpg fare ( I'll admit I'm not a big audophile , and can't really tell the difference of sound effects from one game to another ) , and as stated above , the English voice-overs are really excellently done . The sound track is an extremely pleasant departure from the overly rehashed Nobuo Uematsu themes that have plagued the series the past few iterations . One small complaint would be the lack of diversity in terms of enemy models . After 60 - 70 hours , you really start to tire of hacking through the same Malboro / Skeleton / Wolf mob models that are recycled throughout the entire game . Gameplay ( 8 / 10 ) - Square really rolled the dice on this game and it payed off . The real-time gambit combat system is a marked improvement and evolution from Final Fantasy's turn-based roots . The gameplay features smooth , uninterrupted breaks from travel to combat , a welcome relief that takes much of the hassle of battling away from the prior FF's . Still , Final Fantasy's first flirtation with real-time combat suffers from two significant flaws : 1 ) The gambit system is imperfect . FFXII's combat system relies a lot on the gambit system , which basically involves the player scripting its AI for its characters . Three party members battle simultaneously , and the combat takes place in real-time ( except the player can pause to issue a command ) , which means much of your party's actions are done automatically . However , for simplicity's sake , the gambit system is very basic : you can issue simple conditional and prioritized commands for your AI controlled characters . For example , you can create a gambit that causes a character to cast poisona to cure poison on a party member when he / she has been poisoned . The drawback for simplicity is that in certain situations , you'd like to have more refined conditionals . Sure , if a character is poisoned you'd like to cast poisona , or if a character is blind , you want to cast blindna , but if a character is poisoned AND blind , you'd rather cast the high MP cost Esuna , which would clear BOTH blind AND poison . Because the simplicity of the system , you can either set it up so it'll cast the two spells , or set it up that you'll always cast the more mana intensive esuna , wasting mana in situations where you only need to cast one spell . Similarly , if one character is afflicted with a status effect you might want to cast esuna , but you kind of wish that you could write a gambit for the condition where TWO party members are afflicted with a status to cast esunaga instead ( which is an area effect esuna spell ) . Another similar problem is encountered when scripting healing spells . By the end-game , I've scripted healing gambits to cast Curaja , which heals in entire party . The condition is when a party member is below 50% health . Obviously , if two party members have health below 50% , you only need to cast once , since it's an area effect spell . But there's no way to script that with the simple gambit system , and if I allow the game to go full auto , two spells would be cast , wasting a lot of mana . The speed of the combat system makes it really tedious to micro-manage all these events as well . 2 ) Spell casting is poorly done . For some reason or another , the game mechanics make it impossible for two spell animations to be on screen at once in certain instances , meaning that if all the of your party members have a spell queued , the first animation will go off , and while it's going off , the other two characters will just sort of stand around : problem being , the enemy is still allowed to do regular attacks . So if you're casting something with a fairly long cast animation , the enemy will be wailing on you in the meantime , making it regular attacks preferable , in case you need to get an emergency heal off . Another minor complain I have is that the character progression system , the license system , means open-ended character creation , which sort of takes away from the character development of the individual characters . It'd be preferable to have a class system where the character's combat abilities reflected the character , like Vaan , the street theif would have theif abilities like steal , and use weapons like daggers . Instead , it's possible to turn the small framed Penelo into your hardy tank class , which kind of doesn't make sense . And by the end-game , you'll have acquired all the licenses for all your characters , making them identical for all intents in purposes in combat . In conclusion , FFXII is a solid Final Fantasy game , in a series with many outstanding iterations . However , contrary to the way many reviewers paint the game , it is not a perfect game .
• 188 4  Final Fantasy 12 is a very good game . It is very good even judged by the high standards set by its peers . But it does have some significant flaws . Story ( 7 / 10 ) - The first half of the game set the stage for a very solid storyline . The presentation of the game is outstanding - the voices are a remarkable improvement over the poor voice acting from FFX . The interaction between the characters feels very realistic and was enjoyable to watch , with a solid balance of serious , emotional scenes to witty and well timed humor . However , the high expectations for a solid story and and well-developed characters is not met in the second half . The most glaring story deficiency is surprisingly found in the main characters : by the end of the game , you really start to wonder why Vaan and Penelo are sticking around . They don't contribute much at all to the main plot , and their young age compared to the other mature party members really begs for a better explanation of why exactly their running with this rag-tag crew . Graphics / Sound ( 9 / 10 ) - The graphics of Square's latest Final Fantasy is superb . Prior installments of the Final Fantasy scenes really show the developer's improvement in the realm of computer animation . The character movements are much more detailed and realistic , leaving behind the awkward body gestures from FFX . The sound effects are your standard rpg fare ( I'll admit I'm not a big audophile , and can't really tell the difference of sound effects from one game to another ) , and as stated above , the English voice-overs are really excellently done . The sound track is an extremely pleasant departure from the overly rehashed Nobuo Uematsu themes that have plagued the series the past few iterations . One small complaint would be the lack of diversity in terms of enemy models . After 60 - 70 hours , you really start to tire of hacking through the same Malboro / Skeleton / Wolf mob models that are recycled throughout the entire game . Gameplay ( 8 / 10 ) - Square really rolled the dice on this game and it payed off . The real-time gambit combat system is a marked improvement and evolution from Final Fantasy's turn-based roots . The gameplay features smooth , uninterrupted breaks from travel to combat , a welcome relief that takes much of the hassle of battling away from the prior FF's . Still , Final Fantasy's first flirtation with real-time combat suffers from two significant flaws : 1 ) The gambit system is imperfect . FFXII's combat system relies a lot on the gambit system , which basically involves the player scripting its AI for its characters . Three party members battle simultaneously , and the combat takes place in real-time ( except the player can pause to issue a command ) , which means much of your party's actions are done automatically . However , for simplicity's sake , the gambit system is very basic : you can issue simple conditional and prioritized commands for your AI controlled characters . For example , you can create a gambit that causes a character to cast poisona to cure poison on a party member when he / she has been poisoned . The drawback for simplicity is that in certain situations , you'd like to have more refined conditionals . Sure , if a character is poisoned you'd like to cast poisona , or if a character is blind , you want to cast blindna , but if a character is poisoned AND blind , you'd rather cast the high MP cost Esuna , which would clear BOTH blind AND poison . Because the simplicity of the system , you can either set it up so it'll cast the two spells , or set it up that you'll always cast the more mana intensive esuna , wasting mana in situations where you only need to cast one spell . Similarly , if one character is afflicted with a status effect you might want to cast esuna , but you kind of wish that you could write a gambit for the condition where TWO party members are afflicted with a status to cast esunaga instead ( which is an area effect esuna spell ) . Another similar problem is encountered when scripting healing spells . By the end-game , I've scripted healing gambits to cast Curaja , which heals in entire party . The condition is when a party member is below 50% health . Obviously , if two party members have health below 50% , you only need to cast once , since it's an area effect spell . But there's no way to script that with the simple gambit system , and if I allow the game to go full auto , two spells would be cast , wasting a lot of mana . The speed of the combat system makes it really tedious to micro-manage all these events as well . 2 ) Spell casting is poorly done . For some reason or another , the game mechanics make it impossible for two spell animations to be on screen at once in certain instances , meaning that if all the of your party members have a spell queued , the first animation will go off , and while it's going off , the other two characters will just sort of stand around : problem being , the enemy is still allowed to do regular attacks . So if you're casting something with a fairly long cast animation , the enemy will be wailing on you in the meantime , making it regular attacks preferable , in case you need to get an emergency heal off . Another minor complain I have is that the character progression system , the license system , means open-ended character creation , which sort of takes away from the character development of the individual characters . It'd be preferable to have a class system where the character's combat abilities reflected the character , like Vaan , the street theif would have theif abilities like steal , and use weapons like daggers . Instead , it's possible to turn the small framed Penelo into your hardy tank class , which kind of doesn't make sense . And by the end-game , you'll have acquired all the licenses for all your characters , making them identical for all intents in purposes in combat . In conclusion , FFXII is a solid Final Fantasy game , in a series with many outstanding iterations . However , contrary to the way many reviewers paint the game , it is not a perfect game .
• 189 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Hi people ! I usually look around the internet for reviews that make me feel happy that I bought a game . But today I decided to take a look at a game that made a long time fan , me of course , pay more attention to politics . Before we all just sat there waiting for the character that you play as take his time to attack but now the battle system is turned into something that I , personally , think saved the series . For those of you who don't know what XII is it is the number 12 . But enough about that . It's time for a review ! I got this game for christmas and was amazed by the game . I will explain the game step by step . Story : Honestly I needed a break from that love mumbo jumbo . This time we take a look at politics . Honestly , I don't really care about politics right now at my age , But this game made me want to pay attention to what they say in the future . At the beginning , if your my age , you won't understand anything until 2 hours til the end of the game . Story : 5 Landscaping : The landscape is beautiful . The people in every city walk around and iteract with each other . The kids are playing hopscotch in front of the item shop . People are arguing about prices in the bazzare . Instead of seeing a character in the same place all the time they will move to different places as the game progrsses . Dyce the traveling merchant will probably be in the desert but then when you return he wont be there anymore . If you've played other FF games you might notice that one of the chocobo stables will have chocobo's that will try to get out of there pin and try to get some food from you . Landscape : 5 Battle's : One word . . . amazing ! ! ! ! The enemy's are always on screen which means no more random encounter's . You either fight them or you don't . If you have the game on wait mode when you have the battle menu open the game pauses so that you have time to plan your next move . Battle's : 5 strategy : trust me . Even though the battle system is new that doesn't mean that you don't use strategy still . There are these things called gambits which tell the party members you aren't playing as what to do . So it's up to you if your character's will do nothing or if they will heal any injured party members or if they attack any enemy's in sight . strategy : 5 weapon's : Weapon's are the bad part . I'ts not that they aren't strong it's just that the only way to use them is to have a license for it . Actually you need a license for everything from magicks to aromour . You can't use that Zodiac spear just yet . You first go and defeat some enemy's . They will drop from 1 - 10 license points . You then open the party menu and choose license . You choose the character that is going get a license . The screen changes to the license board which resembles a scrabble board . The Zodiac Spear is 235 license points . This is also good because it means each character is customizable . Go crazy ! Have one person learn all the white magicks there are while you have another concentrate on powerful weapons . Weapon's : 4 Overall : Final Fantasy XII gets 5 license points out of 5
• 190 4  Hi people ! I usually look around the internet for reviews that make me feel happy that I bought a game . But today I decided to take a look at a game that made a long time fan , me of course , pay more attention to politics . Before we all just sat there waiting for the character that you play as take his time to attack but now the battle system is turned into something that I , personally , think saved the series . For those of you who don't know what XII is it is the number 12 . But enough about that . It's time for a review ! I got this game for christmas and was amazed by the game . I will explain the game step by step . Story : Honestly I needed a break from that love mumbo jumbo . This time we take a look at politics . Honestly , I don't really care about politics right now at my age , But this game made me want to pay attention to what they say in the future . At the beginning , if your my age , you won't understand anything until 2 hours til the end of the game . Story : 5 Landscaping : The landscape is beautiful . The people in every city walk around and iteract with each other . The kids are playing hopscotch in front of the item shop . People are arguing about prices in the bazzare . Instead of seeing a character in the same place all the time they will move to different places as the game progrsses . Dyce the traveling merchant will probably be in the desert but then when you return he wont be there anymore . If you've played other FF games you might notice that one of the chocobo stables will have chocobo's that will try to get out of there pin and try to get some food from you . Landscape : 5 Battle's : One word . . . amazing ! ! ! ! The enemy's are always on screen which means no more random encounter's . You either fight them or you don't . If you have the game on wait mode when you have the battle menu open the game pauses so that you have time to plan your next move . Battle's : 5 strategy : trust me . Even though the battle system is new that doesn't mean that you don't use strategy still . There are these things called gambits which tell the party members you aren't playing as what to do . So it's up to you if your character's will do nothing or if they will heal any injured party members or if they attack any enemy's in sight . strategy : 5 weapon's : Weapon's are the bad part . I'ts not that they aren't strong it's just that the only way to use them is to have a license for it . Actually you need a license for everything from magicks to aromour . You can't use that Zodiac spear just yet . You first go and defeat some enemy's . They will drop from 1 - 10 license points . You then open the party menu and choose license . You choose the character that is going get a license . The screen changes to the license board which resembles a scrabble board . The Zodiac Spear is 235 license points . This is also good because it means each character is customizable . Go crazy ! Have one person learn all the white magicks there are while you have another concentrate on powerful weapons . Weapon's : 4 Overall : Final Fantasy XII gets 5 license points out of 5
• 191 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) So after reading all the reviews on Amazon , my desire to pitch in my two cents rose a few notches . For one thing , I'll start out off by saying I have spent an even 100 hours in this game - so it's safe to assume I'm not talkin ' outta my butt here . Yes , I am that loser that spent the extra 40 hours battling all the marks ( extra bosses ) and defeated the ultimate boss in the game , Yiazmat - a boss with 50 million HP ( and thats no typo ! ) People are complaining about the story ; which is understandable . The story is not for everyone - it has a very europeon feeling to it , with the old english dialouge and mid-evil setting - this could turn away fans that are deaf on FF7 - 10 . However , I don't feel its the story so much that is the problem - its mainly the PACING of the story that presents the challange of character involvement , enemy involvement , and story presentation as a whole . The pacing of the game is such that you get ten minutes of story development , then two hours of running around and leveling up ; then another ten minutes of story , followed by another two hours of running around and leveling up - so why is this a problem ? Well , by the time the main events and plot twisting DO happen , you don't care anymore - all you care about is getting to level X so you can advance through the next dungeon easier - because the majority of the time you spend in this game is just that , hence the MMO feel . As for the * actual * story - I thought it was very satisfying . The ending in-game cutscenes are very good ( judge Gabranth reminds me of Darth Vader ) and the ending FMV sequence was touching , with all the characters showing a significant amount of emotion . Now , was it as emotional as 10 ? No . Original as 6 ? No . As attaching as 7 ? Not in my opinion . However , there * is * a real story to the game that couldv'e been an awesome story if paced well , and maybe expounded on alittle bit better . So in the end , if your on the fence on whether or not to play FFXII , just know that its basically 5 hour storyline stretched out over a 40 - 50 hour game - yes , there is an actual story within it all , despite what other 1 star reviewers are saying - but the games main focus is on exploring , battling , boss hunting , esper collecting , and gaining loot for better weapons and armor ; which is kind of sad because Final Fantasy used to be all about story with gameplay taking second seat , but the change of pace is welcomed to some fans , including myself . To me , the battling and exploring is immense in this game ; the fun factor is worth 5 stars in my opinion - however , overall , as a whole - 3 stars , because the story did not present itself clearly , and paced itself very poorly - and its the story that matters in a final fantasy game .
• 192 4  So after reading all the reviews on Amazon , my desire to pitch in my two cents rose a few notches . For one thing , I'll start out off by saying I have spent an even 100 hours in this game - so it's safe to assume I'm not talkin ' outta my butt here . Yes , I am that loser that spent the extra 40 hours battling all the marks ( extra bosses ) and defeated the ultimate boss in the game , Yiazmat - a boss with 50 million HP ( and thats no typo ! ) People are complaining about the story ; which is understandable . The story is not for everyone - it has a very europeon feeling to it , with the old english dialouge and mid-evil setting - this could turn away fans that are deaf on FF7 - 10 . However , I don't feel its the story so much that is the problem - its mainly the PACING of the story that presents the challange of character involvement , enemy involvement , and story presentation as a whole . The pacing of the game is such that you get ten minutes of story development , then two hours of running around and leveling up ; then another ten minutes of story , followed by another two hours of running around and leveling up - so why is this a problem ? Well , by the time the main events and plot twisting DO happen , you don't care anymore - all you care about is getting to level X so you can advance through the next dungeon easier - because the majority of the time you spend in this game is just that , hence the MMO feel . As for the * actual * story - I thought it was very satisfying . The ending in-game cutscenes are very good ( judge Gabranth reminds me of Darth Vader ) and the ending FMV sequence was touching , with all the characters showing a significant amount of emotion . Now , was it as emotional as 10 ? No . Original as 6 ? No . As attaching as 7 ? Not in my opinion . However , there * is * a real story to the game that couldv'e been an awesome story if paced well , and maybe expounded on alittle bit better . So in the end , if your on the fence on whether or not to play FFXII , just know that its basically 5 hour storyline stretched out over a 40 - 50 hour game - yes , there is an actual story within it all , despite what other 1 star reviewers are saying - but the games main focus is on exploring , battling , boss hunting , esper collecting , and gaining loot for better weapons and armor ; which is kind of sad because Final Fantasy used to be all about story with gameplay taking second seat , but the change of pace is welcomed to some fans , including myself . To me , the battling and exploring is immense in this game ; the fun factor is worth 5 stars in my opinion - however , overall , as a whole - 3 stars , because the story did not present itself clearly , and paced itself very poorly - and its the story that matters in a final fantasy game .
• 193 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) After the long wait I'm glad to say that this game is as consuming and distracting as previous titles have been . There are some great tweaks to the gameplay such as active battle mode more along the lines of KOTOR than previous FF games . Overall the story is classic FF as are the characters with superb graphics ( for PS2 ) and most importantly the gameplay and strategy are fantastic . As with previous FF games ( excluding XI ) there are several different things to pursue at one time with varying side quests instead of the straightforward linear forceful approach that some games employ .
• 194 4  After the long wait I'm glad to say that this game is as consuming and distracting as previous titles have been . There are some great tweaks to the gameplay such as active battle mode more along the lines of KOTOR than previous FF games . Overall the story is classic FF as are the characters with superb graphics ( for PS2 ) and most importantly the gameplay and strategy are fantastic . As with previous FF games ( excluding XI ) there are several different things to pursue at one time with varying side quests instead of the straightforward linear forceful approach that some games employ .
• 195 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Whoever did the programming and game engine for Final Fantasy XII deserves praise . It's slick , it's fast , it's immersive and it's good fun - battles are more challenging than they've been since around Final Fantasy IV and V , and the whole system is clearly well thought through . Perhaps it's more reminiscent of Baldur's Gate and Summoner than of Final Fantasy ; and that does leave it feeling unlike Final Fantasy at times . But all the same , it's very slick and well made . The trouble is the characters . Try as I might , I can't care about them . I don't like them . Only Balthier of the main party is remotely interesting . The villain , too , lacks any presence ; there's no real Adversary here . Oh , you know who he is , and who you're going to be up against ; but there's no conflict . You're fighting an Empire , and he's part of it , but there's no PERSONAL adversary , like Cloud versus Sephiroth , Seifer versus Squall , or Tidus and his old man . Or diverting to a less well-made but better written game , the challenge between title character and deceptive demon in Summoner . The enemy in this game is more complex in terms of motive ; but because the game doesn't have the space to really explore it in depth and develop a real DARKNESS to him , you end up with an opponent who tends to seem washed-out and weak more than he feels sophisticated . You just can't stand him up against the other Final Fantasy villains , and not think that he's a pale shadow of them . It simply takes too much time waiting to build to a real conflict . The story may be good - albeit badly told at times - but that's not enough without strong characters to pull it together . A good story with weak characters is worse than a weak story filled with genuinely interesting people . Like other people have said ; side-quests are most of the fun of this game . That's where the game engine can come into its own , and you can ignore the story altogether . And unlike other Final Fantasy games , you feel no pull from it ; no drive to continue . If it was a book , you'd have stopped reading . And that's a sad thing , because for me , the story was why I played Final Fantasy in the first place .
• 196 4  Whoever did the programming and game engine for Final Fantasy XII deserves praise . It's slick , it's fast , it's immersive and it's good fun - battles are more challenging than they've been since around Final Fantasy IV and V , and the whole system is clearly well thought through . Perhaps it's more reminiscent of Baldur's Gate and Summoner than of Final Fantasy ; and that does leave it feeling unlike Final Fantasy at times . But all the same , it's very slick and well made . The trouble is the characters . Try as I might , I can't care about them . I don't like them . Only Balthier of the main party is remotely interesting . The villain , too , lacks any presence ; there's no real Adversary here . Oh , you know who he is , and who you're going to be up against ; but there's no conflict . You're fighting an Empire , and he's part of it , but there's no PERSONAL adversary , like Cloud versus Sephiroth , Seifer versus Squall , or Tidus and his old man . Or diverting to a less well-made but better written game , the challenge between title character and deceptive demon in Summoner . The enemy in this game is more complex in terms of motive ; but because the game doesn't have the space to really explore it in depth and develop a real DARKNESS to him , you end up with an opponent who tends to seem washed-out and weak more than he feels sophisticated . You just can't stand him up against the other Final Fantasy villains , and not think that he's a pale shadow of them . It simply takes too much time waiting to build to a real conflict . The story may be good - albeit badly told at times - but that's not enough without strong characters to pull it together . A good story with weak characters is worse than a weak story filled with genuinely interesting people . Like other people have said ; side-quests are most of the fun of this game . That's where the game engine can come into its own , and you can ignore the story altogether . And unlike other Final Fantasy games , you feel no pull from it ; no drive to continue . If it was a book , you'd have stopped reading . And that's a sad thing , because for me , the story was why I played Final Fantasy in the first place .
• 197 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game is lush , rich with color and has graphics that will go down forever as some of the best that Square-Enix has ever produced . The game mechanics are sound and more like the online FFXI ( no loading screens for every battle ! ) but the game , like most Final Fantasies , loses its lustre about halfway through . The numerous other reviews cover the pros and cons of the game in detail so I won't repeat them here . What I WILL say , though , is that the designers seem to always want the gamers to lose interest in their game 50% of the way through . For example , if you've enjoyed the game up to the 5 mandragora fight , the frustration and irritation will be enough to make you quit . It's one thing if there's a strategy or some tactic to use and discover , but this fight is just a borefest of repetitively hitting one monster , watching your entire party get hit with 5 status effects simultaneously and having them lose 80% of their HP . You barely survive , inflict a scratch or two on one of the 5 monsters . . . and repeat , repeat , repeat . After 3 hours of this , I had enough . Checking game guides and FAQs reveals that this battle is exactly how I described it . Even though each monster has a weakness , you won't want to win the fight . Also , getting money is so difficult , that boss battles will WRECK your item stores and you have to sit and gather money for hours just to move forward . It gets to the point where I can't stand it anymore and I just use a Gameshark to get 9999999999 gil ! There is also a lot of random wandering and wasted time backtracking if you don't have some sort of game guide map . If you're like me and you have a day job and can only play games for a few hours a week , you want to get the most out of your games and see more of their stories . . . not slog around the same area for 5 months just to get to level _ _ _ _ so you can barely beat the area boss ! I know that the game has to be made to satisfy a large cross section of gaming styles , but it would be nice to have all the straightforward bosses and areas be critical to the game and put the super-annoying bosses and areas to the side so that casual gamers can play through and see more of the entrancing storyline and visuals and the hardcore gamers can wear themselves ragged on beating some stupid turnip people . This game will make boss fights so hard that you cannot pass them at a reasonable level . . . or you have to have the foresight to buy some gambit or license or spell or weapon to win . . . if you didn't , then you have to start over from the last save point and slog back to town and then slog back to the boss . I wish , I wish , I wish this game could be more story-oriented than let's make the player hang out for 15 hours of power-leveling and gil-gathering goodness so he can tear his eyeballs out when he gets beaten by the bosses and finds out he needs SIXTEEN hours of leveling ! Slogging through endless battles and having to go backtrack in resource gathering as well as terrain-wise gets this game a 2 in fun . The visuals , sound , voice acting , plot and the world it creates merits a 4 . This game is flashy . . . but not so much fun . NOTE : I have played and beat every Final Fantasy from 1 - 10 ( plus X - 2 ) and the mechanics of having to sit and level in some way are similar in all of them . . . I'm just too busy to enjoy sitting around to do it anymore .
• 198 4  This game is lush , rich with color and has graphics that will go down forever as some of the best that Square-Enix has ever produced . The game mechanics are sound and more like the online FFXI ( no loading screens for every battle ! ) but the game , like most Final Fantasies , loses its lustre about halfway through . The numerous other reviews cover the pros and cons of the game in detail so I won't repeat them here . What I WILL say , though , is that the designers seem to always want the gamers to lose interest in their game 50% of the way through . For example , if you've enjoyed the game up to the 5 mandragora fight , the frustration and irritation will be enough to make you quit . It's one thing if there's a strategy or some tactic to use and discover , but this fight is just a borefest of repetitively hitting one monster , watching your entire party get hit with 5 status effects simultaneously and having them lose 80% of their HP . You barely survive , inflict a scratch or two on one of the 5 monsters . . . and repeat , repeat , repeat . After 3 hours of this , I had enough . Checking game guides and FAQs reveals that this battle is exactly how I described it . Even though each monster has a weakness , you won't want to win the fight . Also , getting money is so difficult , that boss battles will WRECK your item stores and you have to sit and gather money for hours just to move forward . It gets to the point where I can't stand it anymore and I just use a Gameshark to get 9999999999 gil ! There is also a lot of random wandering and wasted time backtracking if you don't have some sort of game guide map . If you're like me and you have a day job and can only play games for a few hours a week , you want to get the most out of your games and see more of their stories . . . not slog around the same area for 5 months just to get to level _ _ _ _ so you can barely beat the area boss ! I know that the game has to be made to satisfy a large cross section of gaming styles , but it would be nice to have all the straightforward bosses and areas be critical to the game and put the super-annoying bosses and areas to the side so that casual gamers can play through and see more of the entrancing storyline and visuals and the hardcore gamers can wear themselves ragged on beating some stupid turnip people . This game will make boss fights so hard that you cannot pass them at a reasonable level . . . or you have to have the foresight to buy some gambit or license or spell or weapon to win . . . if you didn't , then you have to start over from the last save point and slog back to town and then slog back to the boss . I wish , I wish , I wish this game could be more story-oriented than let's make the player hang out for 15 hours of power-leveling and gil-gathering goodness so he can tear his eyeballs out when he gets beaten by the bosses and finds out he needs SIXTEEN hours of leveling ! Slogging through endless battles and having to go backtrack in resource gathering as well as terrain-wise gets this game a 2 in fun . The visuals , sound , voice acting , plot and the world it creates merits a 4 . This game is flashy . . . but not so much fun . NOTE : I have played and beat every Final Fantasy from 1 - 10 ( plus X - 2 ) and the mechanics of having to sit and level in some way are similar in all of them . . . I'm just too busy to enjoy sitting around to do it anymore .
• 199 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I remember when I saw the first trailer for this game . All I can say right now , after buying and playing this game for over 40 hours , is wow , what great advertising ! ! . The commercials for this game presented a group of friends on an epic adventure ( full of laughter and tears ) to reclaim their lost kingdom from an evil empire . Sounds great huh ? The question is how do you mess a good start like that up ? Well simple , just leave out indepth character developement or any personal interaction amongst your group . Conversations among characters are limited only to the plot so you will never grow attached to any of the characters.Plus the characters join the party for no good reason . So why 4 stars ? Well its really a bias grade . I loved the endless hours of roaming around on the beautiful landscape . The world is so big that you will easily forget where you're going or why you're going there ( could also be because the story is not told in an interesting enough way ) . Now if you don't like aimlessly walking around and battling monsters with an answome battle system , then this game deserves 1 star . Overall , you will either hate this game completely , or like it alot ( which would mean that you don't play RPGs that much and don't know what a good one is ) . Rent first before buying .
• 200 4  I remember when I saw the first trailer for this game . All I can say right now , after buying and playing this game for over 40 hours , is wow , what great advertising ! ! . The commercials for this game presented a group of friends on an epic adventure ( full of laughter and tears ) to reclaim their lost kingdom from an evil empire . Sounds great huh ? The question is how do you mess a good start like that up ? Well simple , just leave out indepth character developement or any personal interaction amongst your group . Conversations among characters are limited only to the plot so you will never grow attached to any of the characters.Plus the characters join the party for no good reason . So why 4 stars ? Well its really a bias grade . I loved the endless hours of roaming around on the beautiful landscape . The world is so big that you will easily forget where you're going or why you're going there ( could also be because the story is not told in an interesting enough way ) . Now if you don't like aimlessly walking around and battling monsters with an answome battle system , then this game deserves 1 star . Overall , you will either hate this game completely , or like it alot ( which would mean that you don't play RPGs that much and don't know what a good one is ) . Rent first before buying .
• 201 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is a Very well done FF game . I've been reading the reviews , even with some it's short comings , ( if you can call them that , i could hardly find any ) it is still a GREAT game . I know people are a little surprised with the License System , but if anyone has ever played Final Fantasy Tactics ( for PS ) ( not once in any of the reviews i've read thus far have mentioned it ) , the License System makes perfect sense . In FF Tactics you had Job Points . You gained them along with your EXP . You had to earn JP to get new skills and new classes . Much like FF XII . And as far as the plot in FF XII being too political w / less fantasy , it's far from it . FF Tactics was a combo of Politics , Fantasy , and Religion ( with a little astrology mixed in as well . ) And they both start in or mention Ivalice.I'm about 60hrs in and still not all the way through the game and i do not mind that . This game does have an MMORPG tone to it in a way because of the revamped battle system and it does have some grind to it . But in my opinion , I do not mind the grind . And I love the battle system ! I've played MMORPG's ( DAOC , EQ , GW ) ( Not FFXI though ) and this game doesn't feel that way . The side quests and extra activities FF XII offers are GREAT ! Before I got the game , I was wondering if they were going to bring the card game back from FF VIII . In FF XII you have Hunts which give you a nice escape from the main story from time to time ( especially if a guest a character is with you to help you out ) Like is states above , All in all , this is a very good game , and I'm glad I purchased it . ( Also there are 2 Cids in this game . Double the Cids , Double the fun ! )
• 202 4  This is a Very well done FF game . I've been reading the reviews , even with some it's short comings , ( if you can call them that , i could hardly find any ) it is still a GREAT game . I know people are a little surprised with the License System , but if anyone has ever played Final Fantasy Tactics ( for PS ) ( not once in any of the reviews i've read thus far have mentioned it ) , the License System makes perfect sense . In FF Tactics you had Job Points . You gained them along with your EXP . You had to earn JP to get new skills and new classes . Much like FF XII . And as far as the plot in FF XII being too political w / less fantasy , it's far from it . FF Tactics was a combo of Politics , Fantasy , and Religion ( with a little astrology mixed in as well . ) And they both start in or mention Ivalice.I'm about 60hrs in and still not all the way through the game and i do not mind that . This game does have an MMORPG tone to it in a way because of the revamped battle system and it does have some grind to it . But in my opinion , I do not mind the grind . And I love the battle system ! I've played MMORPG's ( DAOC , EQ , GW ) ( Not FFXI though ) and this game doesn't feel that way . The side quests and extra activities FF XII offers are GREAT ! Before I got the game , I was wondering if they were going to bring the card game back from FF VIII . In FF XII you have Hunts which give you a nice escape from the main story from time to time ( especially if a guest a character is with you to help you out ) Like is states above , All in all , this is a very good game , and I'm glad I purchased it . ( Also there are 2 Cids in this game . Double the Cids , Double the fun ! )
• 203 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I have played almost ten hours now and I cannot say that I am disappointed . By Final Fantasy standards this is an admittedly harder game , yet it is still fun ! First off the battle system is very refreshing . You can see all of the monsters in front of you and choose to fight or sneak around them . Often you must strategize which to attack because if you are not careful they will double team and triple team and so forth on you all at once . The Gambit system also advances gameplay . It consists of automatic commands you can set for your character , such as ' attack nearest foe ' or heal when someone's Health Points are 70% below maximum . This way you can sit back and relax while your characters take care of the less important monsters . It is entirely up to the gamer to decide whether to turn the Gambits on or off . Also in battle you can switch your character for another at generally any time , even if they are knocked out ! A great and wonderful aspect when you're fighting difficult monsters . Speaking of difficulty , you can engage in Mob Hunts , which are side quests to defeat extremely hard and challenging monsters . Never before have I encountered such difficulties as these . . . but it makes the game all more fun . I can't say much about the characters so far . Vaan , the main character , seems very typical , yet the others have interesting back stories . The story resembles the older Final Fantasy games in a way , very dark and power hungry . Ashe is different than I would have thought her to be ; she isn't the typical FF girl character . Gil , the currency , is very difficult to come by , unfortunately . Monsters will occasionally drop items that you can sell , yet theses rarely yield anything of value . Not to mention that the game gives you the option of buying so many things in the beginning of the game that you find yourself stuck between better armor , a better weapon , or just regular supplies . Treasure chests are now random , which irk some , but they always reappear , so in that respect , I feel that it is better that way to gain lots of treasure . : ) The graphics are as best as the PS2 can handle , and they look wonderful ! All of the areas in the game have their own specific feel and you can tell the designers spent a lot of time on each one . Overall this game is definately worth it , as you will spend hours and hours playing it , enjoying the gameplay . The creators put a lot of time and effort and it completely shows . Don't miss out on this classic !
• 204 4  I have played almost ten hours now and I cannot say that I am disappointed . By Final Fantasy standards this is an admittedly harder game , yet it is still fun ! First off the battle system is very refreshing . You can see all of the monsters in front of you and choose to fight or sneak around them . Often you must strategize which to attack because if you are not careful they will double team and triple team and so forth on you all at once . The Gambit system also advances gameplay . It consists of automatic commands you can set for your character , such as ' attack nearest foe ' or heal when someone's Health Points are 70% below maximum . This way you can sit back and relax while your characters take care of the less important monsters . It is entirely up to the gamer to decide whether to turn the Gambits on or off . Also in battle you can switch your character for another at generally any time , even if they are knocked out ! A great and wonderful aspect when you're fighting difficult monsters . Speaking of difficulty , you can engage in Mob Hunts , which are side quests to defeat extremely hard and challenging monsters . Never before have I encountered such difficulties as these . . . but it makes the game all more fun . I can't say much about the characters so far . Vaan , the main character , seems very typical , yet the others have interesting back stories . The story resembles the older Final Fantasy games in a way , very dark and power hungry . Ashe is different than I would have thought her to be ; she isn't the typical FF girl character . Gil , the currency , is very difficult to come by , unfortunately . Monsters will occasionally drop items that you can sell , yet theses rarely yield anything of value . Not to mention that the game gives you the option of buying so many things in the beginning of the game that you find yourself stuck between better armor , a better weapon , or just regular supplies . Treasure chests are now random , which irk some , but they always reappear , so in that respect , I feel that it is better that way to gain lots of treasure . : ) The graphics are as best as the PS2 can handle , and they look wonderful ! All of the areas in the game have their own specific feel and you can tell the designers spent a lot of time on each one . Overall this game is definately worth it , as you will spend hours and hours playing it , enjoying the gameplay . The creators put a lot of time and effort and it completely shows . Don't miss out on this classic !
• 205 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Well , to start off , I can tell you everytime I load up the game I watch the introduction movie . I've never done that before , and so hopefully that just puts that in perspective for you . Anyway , I just have to say that the graphics are amazing , and the voice acting is spectacular . I'm not really going to go to much in depth of the game itself , but rather just scratch the surface a bit . I agree with some other reviews that the story is hard to get into for about the first hour or so , but thats only because you're on your own , and the battles can get really difficult . Anyway there is a large assortment of enemies to fight , and it makes it all worthwhile . The battle system is also a new touch , and it can be a challenge to get used to , but also once you are about an hour or so into the game it gets better . Also , the battles flow very smoothly now since there is no random battle scene encounters . These things overall make the game more of a challenge and less of a cakewalk . * Hint * Do side quests and such when you have a guest , it gives you four party members instead of three . As for the story , some people say that they really don't care for it , but I think that it is a great story and I specifically like the Judges . I think they are an awesome touch to the whole dark aspect . Maps are very large , and towns can sometimes get confusing at first , but also once you spend time in them you get to learn the way around . ( Plenty of save crystals too , so don't worry ) Anyway , the License Board is also a new touch , but is also a very hard aspect of the game . Why ? Because you need to determine early in the game who's going to be doing what because LP's are hard to come by . * Unless you like doing lots of battles , like me . Espers ( sort of like past GF's ) are also a very good touch to the game . However , aquiring them can be quite a challenge , but it's very fun to try . The only thing that I have to say I dislike about this game are the Quickenings , which are like limit breaks in a way , but it's more of a lottery type system . Overall , if you're thinking about getting this game , I highly encourage you to . There are some minor , minor flaws but the good things out weigh them by a long shot . Pros : Outstanding Graphics Great Music To Me , a Good Story Enemy Intelligence is actually there Lots of Customization Cons : Quikenings are really hard to pull off and also confusing Boss Fights sometimes seem over the top ( extreme HP )
• 206 4  Well , to start off , I can tell you everytime I load up the game I watch the introduction movie . I've never done that before , and so hopefully that just puts that in perspective for you . Anyway , I just have to say that the graphics are amazing , and the voice acting is spectacular . I'm not really going to go to much in depth of the game itself , but rather just scratch the surface a bit . I agree with some other reviews that the story is hard to get into for about the first hour or so , but thats only because you're on your own , and the battles can get really difficult . Anyway there is a large assortment of enemies to fight , and it makes it all worthwhile . The battle system is also a new touch , and it can be a challenge to get used to , but also once you are about an hour or so into the game it gets better . Also , the battles flow very smoothly now since there is no random battle scene encounters . These things overall make the game more of a challenge and less of a cakewalk . * Hint * Do side quests and such when you have a guest , it gives you four party members instead of three . As for the story , some people say that they really don't care for it , but I think that it is a great story and I specifically like the Judges . I think they are an awesome touch to the whole dark aspect . Maps are very large , and towns can sometimes get confusing at first , but also once you spend time in them you get to learn the way around . ( Plenty of save crystals too , so don't worry ) Anyway , the License Board is also a new touch , but is also a very hard aspect of the game . Why ? Because you need to determine early in the game who's going to be doing what because LP's are hard to come by . * Unless you like doing lots of battles , like me . Espers ( sort of like past GF's ) are also a very good touch to the game . However , aquiring them can be quite a challenge , but it's very fun to try . The only thing that I have to say I dislike about this game are the Quickenings , which are like limit breaks in a way , but it's more of a lottery type system . Overall , if you're thinking about getting this game , I highly encourage you to . There are some minor , minor flaws but the good things out weigh them by a long shot . Pros : Outstanding Graphics Great Music To Me , a Good Story Enemy Intelligence is actually there Lots of Customization Cons : Quikenings are really hard to pull off and also confusing Boss Fights sometimes seem over the top ( extreme HP )
• 207 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) It's difficult to know where to begin when reviewing a game such as this one . Rarely has another role-playing game generated the hype that FINAL FANTASY XII did , so many ( myself included ) were nervous before its release - what if , after all the delays and setbacks it faced , the game turned out to be a disappointment ? Well , I'm here to say this : Final Fantasy fans rejoice ; XII is here , and it's truly an incredible game to play . Let's start with the story . Many naysayers think that all RPGs are created equal ; that is , someone gets killed or some country gets taken over by monsters , villains , or both and then BAM ! it's time for the hero and his / her friends to take action and save the day . While FFXII uses this same premise - Dalmasca has been overtaken by the Archadians - the developers have done a wonderful job of making the story interesting . The characters involves - Vaan , Penelo , Basch , et al . - really make you care about what's going on . And that's the key : You can re-use the same premise time and again if the story itself is believable and the characters are interesting . Believable , interesting story and characters ? Yes . That brings us to dialogue / script and voice acting . FFXII achieves wonders in both of these areas . The dialogue is sharply written , and the voice actors do a marvelous job of conveying the emotion behind every word . An admixture of British and Scottish accents are used to good effect , as each character's voice gives him / her a bit more personality and distinctiveness . The voice actors and script are seamlessly connected , it seems , because their accents really do justice to the classic-sounding script . With a great story , interesting characters , and engaging voice acting , FFXII continues to excel by providing absolutely * gorgeous * graphics . The characters themselves are painstakingly rendered and crystal clear on the screen . Cities such as Rabanastre , the first you'll visit , are quite large , but no shortcuts were taken in bringing them to life . On the city streets , you'll find numerous NPCs , various flora , and other things ( e.g . , fountains , merchants ) germane to the location . All of these people and places are rendered pristinely ; the sky is clear , the clouds are almost palpable in their fluffiness , and the people seem almost real . The same is true for graphics outside of cities - dungeons , while not as ornate or visually interesting , are still sharp , crisp , and very pleasing to look at . So with such bright , crisp graphics , you'd expect things to be choppy or slow , right ? Wrong . Camera rotation ( with the right analog stick ) in cities , in the field , and in dungeons , is rapid and silky smooth . I've yet to encounter any jerks or visually-apparent choppiness while playing for countless hours . I can't emphasize this enough - not only are the graphics beautiful , but you can actually appreciate them by moving cleanly from place to place without any frame rate problems . And still , there's more ! The gameplay , as you might expect from a game in the Final Fantasy series , is a ridiculous amount of fun . The transition from field to battle is seamless , eliminating loading times for enemy encounters . In other words , you see an enemy on your map ( or right in front of you ! ) , run up to it , and start whacking away . Each kill earns you experience ( to gain levels ) and license points ( to purchase skills ) . Most feral creatures don't carry currency ( e.g . , gil ) , so you can sell the items they drop for money . While leveling up helps characters gain HP , MP , and boosts to their stats , each party member is fully customizable using the License Board , a concept reminiscent of FFX , but much more flexible . After earning license points ( LP ) through battle , use them to buy licenses on the Board . Licenses can allow you to use various magicks and technicks , but also impart the ability for you to wear certain armors / accessories and wield certain weapons . In other words , you purchase the license for a given weapon / accessory / magick / technick , acquire that item or ability , and are then free to use it as you will . The License Board is quite large , so you should prioritize what skills you purchase at what time to maximize the benefits you get . The intricacies of battle ( Espers , magicks , technicks ) are detailed and beyond of the scope of what I wanted to talk about here . Suffice it to say that you , the player , control the leader of your party ( whom you can choose ) and the others are controlled via Gambits . Gambits are essentially sets of commands given to your characters that they perform in the specified order that you lay out . However , you are still free to control both the leader and the rest of the party during each battle by issuing individual commands ( but that takes a long time , so why not use your Gambits ? ) . This allows for a lot of versatility in how characters are controlled , as you can set their Gambits before battle to ensure that each party member does what you want them to when a particular trigger is set off . No Final Fantasy game would be complete without tons of sidequests and extras , which FFXII provides . Expect to spend 40 - 50 hours during a normal playthrough , and even more if you're a true completist . I can honestly say that FFXII delivers one of the best RPG experiences I've had in a very long time . While it does have its small flaws ( good , if somewhat unremarkable soundtrack ; odd dungeon layout ; somewhat steep difficulty gradient between normal battles and boss fights ) , overall it is a smashing success . FFXII , with the myriad adventures it has to offer , will surely please anyone even remotely interested in RPGs . A truly fantastic game all-around , and one of the best I have * ever * had the pleasure of playing .
• 208 4  It's difficult to know where to begin when reviewing a game such as this one . Rarely has another role-playing game generated the hype that FINAL FANTASY XII did , so many ( myself included ) were nervous before its release - what if , after all the delays and setbacks it faced , the game turned out to be a disappointment ? Well , I'm here to say this : Final Fantasy fans rejoice ; XII is here , and it's truly an incredible game to play . Let's start with the story . Many naysayers think that all RPGs are created equal ; that is , someone gets killed or some country gets taken over by monsters , villains , or both and then BAM ! it's time for the hero and his / her friends to take action and save the day . While FFXII uses this same premise - Dalmasca has been overtaken by the Archadians - the developers have done a wonderful job of making the story interesting . The characters involves - Vaan , Penelo , Basch , et al . - really make you care about what's going on . And that's the key : You can re-use the same premise time and again if the story itself is believable and the characters are interesting . Believable , interesting story and characters ? Yes . That brings us to dialogue / script and voice acting . FFXII achieves wonders in both of these areas . The dialogue is sharply written , and the voice actors do a marvelous job of conveying the emotion behind every word . An admixture of British and Scottish accents are used to good effect , as each character's voice gives him / her a bit more personality and distinctiveness . The voice actors and script are seamlessly connected , it seems , because their accents really do justice to the classic-sounding script . With a great story , interesting characters , and engaging voice acting , FFXII continues to excel by providing absolutely * gorgeous * graphics . The characters themselves are painstakingly rendered and crystal clear on the screen . Cities such as Rabanastre , the first you'll visit , are quite large , but no shortcuts were taken in bringing them to life . On the city streets , you'll find numerous NPCs , various flora , and other things ( e.g . , fountains , merchants ) germane to the location . All of these people and places are rendered pristinely ; the sky is clear , the clouds are almost palpable in their fluffiness , and the people seem almost real . The same is true for graphics outside of cities - dungeons , while not as ornate or visually interesting , are still sharp , crisp , and very pleasing to look at . So with such bright , crisp graphics , you'd expect things to be choppy or slow , right ? Wrong . Camera rotation ( with the right analog stick ) in cities , in the field , and in dungeons , is rapid and silky smooth . I've yet to encounter any jerks or visually-apparent choppiness while playing for countless hours . I can't emphasize this enough - not only are the graphics beautiful , but you can actually appreciate them by moving cleanly from place to place without any frame rate problems . And still , there's more ! The gameplay , as you might expect from a game in the Final Fantasy series , is a ridiculous amount of fun . The transition from field to battle is seamless , eliminating loading times for enemy encounters . In other words , you see an enemy on your map ( or right in front of you ! ) , run up to it , and start whacking away . Each kill earns you experience ( to gain levels ) and license points ( to purchase skills ) . Most feral creatures don't carry currency ( e.g . , gil ) , so you can sell the items they drop for money . While leveling up helps characters gain HP , MP , and boosts to their stats , each party member is fully customizable using the License Board , a concept reminiscent of FFX , but much more flexible . After earning license points ( LP ) through battle , use them to buy licenses on the Board . Licenses can allow you to use various magicks and technicks , but also impart the ability for you to wear certain armors / accessories and wield certain weapons . In other words , you purchase the license for a given weapon / accessory / magick / technick , acquire that item or ability , and are then free to use it as you will . The License Board is quite large , so you should prioritize what skills you purchase at what time to maximize the benefits you get . The intricacies of battle ( Espers , magicks , technicks ) are detailed and beyond of the scope of what I wanted to talk about here . Suffice it to say that you , the player , control the leader of your party ( whom you can choose ) and the others are controlled via Gambits . Gambits are essentially sets of commands given to your characters that they perform in the specified order that you lay out . However , you are still free to control both the leader and the rest of the party during each battle by issuing individual commands ( but that takes a long time , so why not use your Gambits ? ) . This allows for a lot of versatility in how characters are controlled , as you can set their Gambits before battle to ensure that each party member does what you want them to when a particular trigger is set off . No Final Fantasy game would be complete without tons of sidequests and extras , which FFXII provides . Expect to spend 40 - 50 hours during a normal playthrough , and even more if you're a true completist . I can honestly say that FFXII delivers one of the best RPG experiences I've had in a very long time . While it does have its small flaws ( good , if somewhat unremarkable soundtrack ; odd dungeon layout ; somewhat steep difficulty gradient between normal battles and boss fights ) , overall it is a smashing success . FFXII , with the myriad adventures it has to offer , will surely please anyone even remotely interested in RPGs . A truly fantastic game all-around , and one of the best I have * ever * had the pleasure of playing .
• 209 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Well , I am only about twenty hours into the game so I cannot accurately give a fair game of the game overall . I can say that being an avid player of the entire series this game does not fail in keeping with the tempo of great RPG action . There are a few differences between this game and the majority of the previous ones . The most obvious difference is the on screen battles . No longer are you stuck in a perpetual , but fun nonetheless , random battle scenario in which the characters square off to enemies like old civil war troops faced each other in battle . You have free roam of the level and can choose to run circles around your enemies , which proves useful with some of the slower moving ones . For fans of FFX who enjoyed the power grid way of gaining more HP / MP / whatever else it had to offer , you will not be disappointed . Though I didn't really like the idea of the power grid in FFX , I have come to appreciate the LP ( License Points ) in FFXII . It makes going around and slaughtering useless creatures all worth while and it is the only way you can get better weapons , magic and so forth . It lets you really customize your characters to your preference , once you learn where everything on the LP board is at . As far as the mini game goes , you have The Hunts . I am not quite sure if these are really mini games so to speak , but they are a good time killer when you are not ready to continue with the main quest . A lot of the hunts can be a challenge because the game does not level creatures in concurrence with your current level . In lamens terms , you party members can all be around level thirteen or so and come across a level forty-five creature ready to stomp your guts out . All of these aspects coupled with great cinemas , fast load times between screens and graphics that certainly push the limits of my PS2 system with great results make this a must have for Final Fantasy fans out there . Though I am not nearly along enough in the game to see what the rest of it holds , I am thoroughly satisfied with what I have played and seen , and can say that this game is going on my list of top five Final Fantasy games .
• 210 4  Well , I am only about twenty hours into the game so I cannot accurately give a fair game of the game overall . I can say that being an avid player of the entire series this game does not fail in keeping with the tempo of great RPG action . There are a few differences between this game and the majority of the previous ones . The most obvious difference is the on screen battles . No longer are you stuck in a perpetual , but fun nonetheless , random battle scenario in which the characters square off to enemies like old civil war troops faced each other in battle . You have free roam of the level and can choose to run circles around your enemies , which proves useful with some of the slower moving ones . For fans of FFX who enjoyed the power grid way of gaining more HP / MP / whatever else it had to offer , you will not be disappointed . Though I didn't really like the idea of the power grid in FFX , I have come to appreciate the LP ( License Points ) in FFXII . It makes going around and slaughtering useless creatures all worth while and it is the only way you can get better weapons , magic and so forth . It lets you really customize your characters to your preference , once you learn where everything on the LP board is at . As far as the mini game goes , you have The Hunts . I am not quite sure if these are really mini games so to speak , but they are a good time killer when you are not ready to continue with the main quest . A lot of the hunts can be a challenge because the game does not level creatures in concurrence with your current level . In lamens terms , you party members can all be around level thirteen or so and come across a level forty-five creature ready to stomp your guts out . All of these aspects coupled with great cinemas , fast load times between screens and graphics that certainly push the limits of my PS2 system with great results make this a must have for Final Fantasy fans out there . Though I am not nearly along enough in the game to see what the rest of it holds , I am thoroughly satisfied with what I have played and seen , and can say that this game is going on my list of top five Final Fantasy games .
• 211 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) FF12 is not by any means another FF7 or FF8 and , though it is far from being the least attractive of the series , signs are not wanting that the rich vein which Square and their various followers have worked for so many years is , at last , dangerously near exhaustion . In FF12 , there are many parts where the plot is so convoluted and complicated that it can barely be followed . In the best examples of the series , we had characters that were easy to figure out , villains with clear motives , missions with goals that advance the plot , and customising options that didn't take all day to figure out . While I had a blast playing through this 100 - hour game the first time , repeated plays were found to quickly pall and spread feelings of incipient boredom and audibly hostile responses . That said , the first playing of the game should wow anyone - when it's over , don't play it again for a long time . Let it pass completely out of memory if you can . Then replay from the beginning - if it bores you to death , you'll know what I'm feeling . However , it is not a game without merit . The imagery is excellent , and so is the score ( oddly * not * by Uematsu , though there are a few bits by him ) . The voices are often quite good , with the exception of Vaan , whose voice has too much glottal stop and reveals no personality at all . It is true that Vaan is a colourless , lifeless part , but even a colourless and lifeless part may be quickened into colour , animated into life by a well-chosen , consistently carried out reading . And this the actor failed to do . He does not seem to have any clear conception of what the part is like or what might be done with it . As Vaan is the central character for the first hour of the game , this works to the detriment of the story . There is certainly much to explore and discover , and one cannot play the entire game without at least 100 hours put into it . This was obviously designed to keep the players occupied from first to last . A problem I suffered with the story was its lack of clarity . Oftentimes , you're told to get from point A to point B without a reason more than go see this person , as if that could solve everything . By the time I got there , I forgot why I was there in the first place . I found many of the missions utterly contrived and almost unnecessary ( not the Hunts - which are excellently designed ! - the journeys to the Draklor Laboratory , or Giruvegan or Bur-Omisace didn't seem to have a strong reason to go there at all ) . And the subquests are so invisible as not to be noticed at all . To add to the disorder of the game , the mini-game is just trading information . You spend 90% of them just talking to people . How much fun is that ? It's not blitzball , nor Sphere Break , nor the Gold Saucer . It's dull and unimaginative . While I enjoyed the intellect of the dialogue and its construction , there are too many points where the action ceases entirely and we get the feeling that nothing in particular is happening , no progress being made . This lack of development hangs like a blight over the game . How could such an able team make so great a mistake ? ? I like the game , but I feel that judicious use of the pruning knife would be nothing but beneficial to a game with so much going for and against it . I'm not quite sure how it begins and I'm in considerable doubt about the ending . It's not an excruciatingly bad game to play , as some reviews may lead you to believe , but it has some challenges that just cannot be overcome , all of which are enumerated above . New-style Final Fantasy has mixed results : you either have to play it once and sometimes , you don't .
• 212 4  FF12 is not by any means another FF7 or FF8 and , though it is far from being the least attractive of the series , signs are not wanting that the rich vein which Square and their various followers have worked for so many years is , at last , dangerously near exhaustion . In FF12 , there are many parts where the plot is so convoluted and complicated that it can barely be followed . In the best examples of the series , we had characters that were easy to figure out , villains with clear motives , missions with goals that advance the plot , and customising options that didn't take all day to figure out . While I had a blast playing through this 100 - hour game the first time , repeated plays were found to quickly pall and spread feelings of incipient boredom and audibly hostile responses . That said , the first playing of the game should wow anyone - when it's over , don't play it again for a long time . Let it pass completely out of memory if you can . Then replay from the beginning - if it bores you to death , you'll know what I'm feeling . However , it is not a game without merit . The imagery is excellent , and so is the score ( oddly * not * by Uematsu , though there are a few bits by him ) . The voices are often quite good , with the exception of Vaan , whose voice has too much glottal stop and reveals no personality at all . It is true that Vaan is a colourless , lifeless part , but even a colourless and lifeless part may be quickened into colour , animated into life by a well-chosen , consistently carried out reading . And this the actor failed to do . He does not seem to have any clear conception of what the part is like or what might be done with it . As Vaan is the central character for the first hour of the game , this works to the detriment of the story . There is certainly much to explore and discover , and one cannot play the entire game without at least 100 hours put into it . This was obviously designed to keep the players occupied from first to last . A problem I suffered with the story was its lack of clarity . Oftentimes , you're told to get from point A to point B without a reason more than go see this person , as if that could solve everything . By the time I got there , I forgot why I was there in the first place . I found many of the missions utterly contrived and almost unnecessary ( not the Hunts - which are excellently designed ! - the journeys to the Draklor Laboratory , or Giruvegan or Bur-Omisace didn't seem to have a strong reason to go there at all ) . And the subquests are so invisible as not to be noticed at all . To add to the disorder of the game , the mini-game is just trading information . You spend 90% of them just talking to people . How much fun is that ? It's not blitzball , nor Sphere Break , nor the Gold Saucer . It's dull and unimaginative . While I enjoyed the intellect of the dialogue and its construction , there are too many points where the action ceases entirely and we get the feeling that nothing in particular is happening , no progress being made . This lack of development hangs like a blight over the game . How could such an able team make so great a mistake ? ? I like the game , but I feel that judicious use of the pruning knife would be nothing but beneficial to a game with so much going for and against it . I'm not quite sure how it begins and I'm in considerable doubt about the ending . It's not an excruciatingly bad game to play , as some reviews may lead you to believe , but it has some challenges that just cannot be overcome , all of which are enumerated above . New-style Final Fantasy has mixed results : you either have to play it once and sometimes , you don't .
• 213 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Here it is . . . the next evolution of Final Fantasy . . . A name endlessly synonymous in the gaming industry . One cannot help but admire a company that incorporates the visions and lifestyles of multiple artistic disciplines into the whole . . . a fantasy . . . and it is that final fantasy philosophy which brought them forth into the video game industry as path blazers so many years ago . Hope for the best . You see , despite all of the reviews , analysis , and comparisons of each Final Fantasy title , many forget that it is still a technologically limited art form within a business model . Every single title within the Final Fantasy ( heck , Squaresoft ) library had evolved upon each other , and this evolution itself is the by-product of other advances within the industry that have paved the way for business and artistic expressions . For those who had played Final Fantasy XI online , this FF-XII is a very familiar game . For those directly jumping from the world of FF-VII-IX , this will be a form of culture shock . For those jumping back from FF-X-X2 , the shift is slighter , but can still be disorienting , visually speaking . However , in this installment you are now more realistically placed into a world other than forced into its game limitation structures for movement . To be able to pan and view a world within the Final Fantasy franchise as a single playing game . . . to be completely absorbed into this reality , this title is a blessing upon the series . And even that word . . . series . . . is coined far toooooo often for this set of game titles . Only a few attempts were made to offer continuations of worlds and characters . The beauty of this series is that each one is fresh , unique , yet stylistically similar , if you will . You'll feel once again at home living in a fantastic world . . . but now more authentic than past offerings ( apart from the online FF-XI version ) . It's not Elder Scrolls Morrowind or Oblivion-ish . The camera movements still have limitations and first person POV is non-existent . Also , in Morrowind-ish games you can manipulate almost every object in the world . In FF-XII you can't , however the details make up for this otherworldly exposure . Every angle is a work of art - a journey into another realm . It's a different monster to tame . The movement and battle system isn't that foreign as most have you believe . Think Vagrant Story merged with FF-X and Dragon Quest 8 and the influences and decisions to develop the game this way is blatantly obvious , yet required to get the point across . Learn to control your camera and you'll be sucked right in . The key to success and enjoyment in FF-XII is to explore , expand your characters , and to spend adequate amounts of time getting familiar with your surroundings . Don't just follow the main story line . Live in this fantastic world . Branch off from it and these new dimensions within a multilayered video game are yours to adore . You have this freedom to a certain extent . . . but these extents even have logical reasons ( ie : the boat has left for the mainland and hasn't returned ) . And in the process the game offers exactly what is required to conquer it . Yes , FF-XII is familiar , yet different . It does what it sets out to do and one can't help but be captivated by its shear grandness , both as a video game and as an art form . After about 4 hours of quality game time , this beast takes you away , away , away . . . BRAVO ! ! !
• 214 4  Here it is . . . the next evolution of Final Fantasy . . . A name endlessly synonymous in the gaming industry . One cannot help but admire a company that incorporates the visions and lifestyles of multiple artistic disciplines into the whole . . . a fantasy . . . and it is that final fantasy philosophy which brought them forth into the video game industry as path blazers so many years ago . Hope for the best . You see , despite all of the reviews , analysis , and comparisons of each Final Fantasy title , many forget that it is still a technologically limited art form within a business model . Every single title within the Final Fantasy ( heck , Squaresoft ) library had evolved upon each other , and this evolution itself is the by-product of other advances within the industry that have paved the way for business and artistic expressions . For those who had played Final Fantasy XI online , this FF-XII is a very familiar game . For those directly jumping from the world of FF-VII-IX , this will be a form of culture shock . For those jumping back from FF-X-X2 , the shift is slighter , but can still be disorienting , visually speaking . However , in this installment you are now more realistically placed into a world other than forced into its game limitation structures for movement . To be able to pan and view a world within the Final Fantasy franchise as a single playing game . . . to be completely absorbed into this reality , this title is a blessing upon the series . And even that word . . . series . . . is coined far toooooo often for this set of game titles . Only a few attempts were made to offer continuations of worlds and characters . The beauty of this series is that each one is fresh , unique , yet stylistically similar , if you will . You'll feel once again at home living in a fantastic world . . . but now more authentic than past offerings ( apart from the online FF-XI version ) . It's not Elder Scrolls Morrowind or Oblivion-ish . The camera movements still have limitations and first person POV is non-existent . Also , in Morrowind-ish games you can manipulate almost every object in the world . In FF-XII you can't , however the details make up for this otherworldly exposure . Every angle is a work of art - a journey into another realm . It's a different monster to tame . The movement and battle system isn't that foreign as most have you believe . Think Vagrant Story merged with FF-X and Dragon Quest 8 and the influences and decisions to develop the game this way is blatantly obvious , yet required to get the point across . Learn to control your camera and you'll be sucked right in . The key to success and enjoyment in FF-XII is to explore , expand your characters , and to spend adequate amounts of time getting familiar with your surroundings . Don't just follow the main story line . Live in this fantastic world . Branch off from it and these new dimensions within a multilayered video game are yours to adore . You have this freedom to a certain extent . . . but these extents even have logical reasons ( ie : the boat has left for the mainland and hasn't returned ) . And in the process the game offers exactly what is required to conquer it . Yes , FF-XII is familiar , yet different . It does what it sets out to do and one can't help but be captivated by its shear grandness , both as a video game and as an art form . After about 4 hours of quality game time , this beast takes you away , away , away . . . BRAVO ! ! !
• 215 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I hesitated before giving this game a bad review . I've been a diehard fan of the Final Fantasy series since 1991 . I was the second person in the store to purchase this on it's release day . However , I can no longer kid myself when it comes to this game . The graphics are beautiful , but that isn't enough to keep my interest . The story is terribly boring . The characters all look the same ( with the exception of Fran ) and they are all painfully dull , lifeless and without personality at all . Like another reviewer pointed out , it is hard to tell the characters apart because they all look the same . Compare them to the differences in the characters from FFX . I have no emotional attachment to them . I didn't care what happened next or if they all dropped dead . I eventually got used to the new battle system but I never grew to like it . I prefer the old battle systems and I don't think they should've changed it . I could only put in about twelve hours on this game before giving up and playing VII or X for the tenth time , which in my opinion are much better games in terms of character development and storyline . I would normally never review anything before finishing it , but I honestly don't think I will ever finish this game . Not since VIII have I been so disappointed . I waited years for a new Final Fantasy to come out since I didn't have any interest in XI , and now I don't even think I can bear another hour of XII . Gaming shouldn't be a chore . I used to want to play every spare minute I had , but when I think about playing this game I grimace in pain . I couldn't even enjoy the music , which used to be such a treat in all the other games . I really hope Square Enix spends more time on the story and character development on their new games or they will end up losing a lot of longtime fans who are used to the great stories , beautiful music and unforgettable characters of the old , true Final Fantasy games . I guess they can't all be winners .
• 216 4  I hesitated before giving this game a bad review . I've been a diehard fan of the Final Fantasy series since 1991 . I was the second person in the store to purchase this on it's release day . However , I can no longer kid myself when it comes to this game . The graphics are beautiful , but that isn't enough to keep my interest . The story is terribly boring . The characters all look the same ( with the exception of Fran ) and they are all painfully dull , lifeless and without personality at all . Like another reviewer pointed out , it is hard to tell the characters apart because they all look the same . Compare them to the differences in the characters from FFX . I have no emotional attachment to them . I didn't care what happened next or if they all dropped dead . I eventually got used to the new battle system but I never grew to like it . I prefer the old battle systems and I don't think they should've changed it . I could only put in about twelve hours on this game before giving up and playing VII or X for the tenth time , which in my opinion are much better games in terms of character development and storyline . I would normally never review anything before finishing it , but I honestly don't think I will ever finish this game . Not since VIII have I been so disappointed . I waited years for a new Final Fantasy to come out since I didn't have any interest in XI , and now I don't even think I can bear another hour of XII . Gaming shouldn't be a chore . I used to want to play every spare minute I had , but when I think about playing this game I grimace in pain . I couldn't even enjoy the music , which used to be such a treat in all the other games . I really hope Square Enix spends more time on the story and character development on their new games or they will end up losing a lot of longtime fans who are used to the great stories , beautiful music and unforgettable characters of the old , true Final Fantasy games . I guess they can't all be winners .
• 217 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Been anticipating this game since I'm a hardcore RPG player ( both western and Japanese ) . But FF XII is a disappointment . I think it is one of the most overrated game of the year and Square-Enix failed to deliver a product to please old and new audience while trying hard to do so . The unnecessary way of prolonging gameplay for a game with a short story is just frustrating , disappointing and irritating . Square-Enix could lose a lot of support with this ill-fated overrated attempt of cross breeding western and Japanese RPGs cos it created a mutated monster that only live under the franchise name without the franchise substance . Battle System I must say the battle system is disappointing for a long term FF supporter like me . I became a hybrid of Baulder's Gate and Final Fantasy so it doesn't look like anything - not that it's bad to be unique but it destroys the fun of both aspects of western and Japanese RPGs . Also they immitate the Tales of Symphonia type of AI control but then at the same time doesn't have the depth of the Tales of Symphonia systems . You basically buy gambits for the AI controls but then that's it . It affects their performance by priority but e.g . if you set steal as the first priority - which you need to because enemies don't drop gil anymore so you need to sell your loot to buy extremely expensive gears to stay alive in battles - it will keep on stealing even there is nothing to steal and eventually get killed . But in Tales of Symphonia , the AI develop different skills depends on how you want them to behave in the battle , so it has higher replay value because if you want to see all the skills and different chain patterns , then you have to replay it . FF XII doesn't have that at all . Once your characters levelled up to a certain level , you can set everyone on gambit and run around just to let them kill . Not interactive at all . Some of the optional bosses and marks are ridiculously difficult and have things like immune to all attacks when near death just really put you off . Just imagine a boss with like 500,000 HP . You worked hard to wear down to say 2500 HP , then it is immune to everything and can only be attacked for 3 seconds when the immunity is down but at the same time cast instant death magic to all your characters . That is what we call frustrations not fun . I think Square Enix had gone too far on this . In terms of battles and bosses , I think this is so far the worst of the crop . In terms of magic , they change the magic system into a way that veteran FF fans can't find their magic anymore . White and Black are still there . But then Blue is gone and replaced by Time and Green . White and Black magic are basically the same but in the past with Esuna , you can cure all status but now you have a subdivision of Blinda , Stona etc . to cure individual status . But most important certain status can't be cured by magic . What the ? Green magic dumped all the status magic together ( in the past they are white magic ) so you have to run through a unfamiliar list for things you used to know . Time magic is ok cos it does tell what's happening . But Green magic man . . . so random and unnecessary Dungeons The worst thing is the introduciton of traps . You can have it in Vagrant Story or other games , but traps that completely block your path and can cause instant death in a FF game ? What is Square-Enix thinking about ? That is so unnecessary and waste of time and increase of frustration . Especially you got ambused already by enemies and then one of your AI characters stepped on a trap - start from the last game save mate . And you have enemies who plant traps ? Square-Enix is completely lost on that I reckon . Going through dungeons with hordes of enemies ( some so deadly ) without enough save points is already intense . Got killed by traps right in front of a save point ? Anyone find it challenging ? Save points that are actually monsters you have to defeat them to save when you thought you finally can have a rest after 2 hours of dungeon crawling ? Anyone find it fun ? Character Development You use license board . OK like sphere grid but you need to open them up with license point . Everyone starts at the same point , ok like the expert grid in FF X . But then in FF X you open up that skills as long as you have the step points . For FF XII , you open that up YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM FROM SHOPS TOO before you can use them . So it doubles up your effort and since enemies no longer drop gils , it forces you to do a lot of battles again and again to hopefull get something you can sell at a good price to build up the cash flow for them . I mean for gears and weapons , I can understand . But for magic and techniques ? Why is it not once you open up you can use it ? You still need a lot of LP to open up high level magic , but at the same time you need to use a fortune to buy them after opening them up ? What the heck ? Also they have attributes that you can open up but you can use that often e.g . Ether Lore ( increase MP recovery with Ether ) is great but then ether are not available in shops so you have to hope that they show up in chests , which usually give you 2 gils instead of anything useful . That's what we call crap gaming design . Especially if the chest is guarded by a super uber hard enemy . You killed it finally and find out that there are only 2 gils in it ? You just want to throw the controller across your lounge room . For weapon skills , if you think you can save LP to open up your selected weapon group e.g . guns for your designated character , you are wrong . This is because the next level of gun that you can use could be 100 miles away on the board , so you have to open up staff , spear , bows , crossbows etc etc and then found out you don't have enough LP to open up the license for the gun you just bought for 100,000 gils . Story The story is great I must say but it is very short . Considering that I can only play on weekends cos I need to work during the week , 4 weeks into it , I am near the end - and that's include I spent time on character development and quite a bit of optional boss fighting . So the story is very short but very gripping ( at least for me ) It is completely different from other FF games in terms of style , more on a political thriller side with some fantasy themes but it is great . That's the only thing that keeps me going with the game . The voice acting is superb . They have British actors to do voice acting this time and there tons of different accents in the game to represent different tribes and social class in the world of Ivalice . I think that is very clever . Also no more cheerful cutesy and annoying little girl character bouncing and jumping around . That is a huge improvement . Music and Visual It is not as good as other FF games . It's not that they are bad but just not memorable . The style change failed to make players remember a particular piece of music for particular areas e.g . you remember the HoneyB Mansion in FF VII , the opening theme in FF VIII and the Zanarkand Theme in FF X . But you can't remember anything in this game . It sounds familiar when they recyle the same music in the same area , but that's all . You can relate anything to the game by just listening to the music . Visual wise , I must say it is the most beautiful and detail game in FF history . Some of the areas you just want to look around because they are so well done and detailed that it's just a pleasure to look at it . However , because of all the details and sharp images , my eyes get really tired after a while , which is not common for me at all cos that doesn't exist in any other games that I've played since I started gaming . My other friend , who is another hard core gamer has the same problem too . So that is something to take into consideration . Overall It is a decent game , just not a memorable game . Personally I think it is a bit overrated and I do think that Square-Enix has lost the plot for the FF games . It's disappointing that it tried to create something to please global audience but then it failed to look like anything in the end . In terms of quality , other FF games are far superb except for FF X2 which is a complete mistake to even have that one . If someone wants to play action RPGs they can play Zelda or Champions of Norrath etc . FF games as a stake holder in the RPG genre is because FF games own unique style and system , but FF XII lost it all . The story is a huge advance for Square-Enix but that's all .
• 218 4  Been anticipating this game since I'm a hardcore RPG player ( both western and Japanese ) . But FF XII is a disappointment . I think it is one of the most overrated game of the year and Square-Enix failed to deliver a product to please old and new audience while trying hard to do so . The unnecessary way of prolonging gameplay for a game with a short story is just frustrating , disappointing and irritating . Square-Enix could lose a lot of support with this ill-fated overrated attempt of cross breeding western and Japanese RPGs cos it created a mutated monster that only live under the franchise name without the franchise substance . Battle System I must say the battle system is disappointing for a long term FF supporter like me . I became a hybrid of Baulder's Gate and Final Fantasy so it doesn't look like anything - not that it's bad to be unique but it destroys the fun of both aspects of western and Japanese RPGs . Also they immitate the Tales of Symphonia type of AI control but then at the same time doesn't have the depth of the Tales of Symphonia systems . You basically buy gambits for the AI controls but then that's it . It affects their performance by priority but e.g . if you set steal as the first priority - which you need to because enemies don't drop gil anymore so you need to sell your loot to buy extremely expensive gears to stay alive in battles - it will keep on stealing even there is nothing to steal and eventually get killed . But in Tales of Symphonia , the AI develop different skills depends on how you want them to behave in the battle , so it has higher replay value because if you want to see all the skills and different chain patterns , then you have to replay it . FF XII doesn't have that at all . Once your characters levelled up to a certain level , you can set everyone on gambit and run around just to let them kill . Not interactive at all . Some of the optional bosses and marks are ridiculously difficult and have things like immune to all attacks when near death just really put you off . Just imagine a boss with like 500,000 HP . You worked hard to wear down to say 2500 HP , then it is immune to everything and can only be attacked for 3 seconds when the immunity is down but at the same time cast instant death magic to all your characters . That is what we call frustrations not fun . I think Square Enix had gone too far on this . In terms of battles and bosses , I think this is so far the worst of the crop . In terms of magic , they change the magic system into a way that veteran FF fans can't find their magic anymore . White and Black are still there . But then Blue is gone and replaced by Time and Green . White and Black magic are basically the same but in the past with Esuna , you can cure all status but now you have a subdivision of Blinda , Stona etc . to cure individual status . But most important certain status can't be cured by magic . What the ? Green magic dumped all the status magic together ( in the past they are white magic ) so you have to run through a unfamiliar list for things you used to know . Time magic is ok cos it does tell what's happening . But Green magic man . . . so random and unnecessary Dungeons The worst thing is the introduciton of traps . You can have it in Vagrant Story or other games , but traps that completely block your path and can cause instant death in a FF game ? What is Square-Enix thinking about ? That is so unnecessary and waste of time and increase of frustration . Especially you got ambused already by enemies and then one of your AI characters stepped on a trap - start from the last game save mate . And you have enemies who plant traps ? Square-Enix is completely lost on that I reckon . Going through dungeons with hordes of enemies ( some so deadly ) without enough save points is already intense . Got killed by traps right in front of a save point ? Anyone find it challenging ? Save points that are actually monsters you have to defeat them to save when you thought you finally can have a rest after 2 hours of dungeon crawling ? Anyone find it fun ? Character Development You use license board . OK like sphere grid but you need to open them up with license point . Everyone starts at the same point , ok like the expert grid in FF X . But then in FF X you open up that skills as long as you have the step points . For FF XII , you open that up YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM FROM SHOPS TOO before you can use them . So it doubles up your effort and since enemies no longer drop gils , it forces you to do a lot of battles again and again to hopefull get something you can sell at a good price to build up the cash flow for them . I mean for gears and weapons , I can understand . But for magic and techniques ? Why is it not once you open up you can use it ? You still need a lot of LP to open up high level magic , but at the same time you need to use a fortune to buy them after opening them up ? What the heck ? Also they have attributes that you can open up but you can use that often e.g . Ether Lore ( increase MP recovery with Ether ) is great but then ether are not available in shops so you have to hope that they show up in chests , which usually give you 2 gils instead of anything useful . That's what we call crap gaming design . Especially if the chest is guarded by a super uber hard enemy . You killed it finally and find out that there are only 2 gils in it ? You just want to throw the controller across your lounge room . For weapon skills , if you think you can save LP to open up your selected weapon group e.g . guns for your designated character , you are wrong . This is because the next level of gun that you can use could be 100 miles away on the board , so you have to open up staff , spear , bows , crossbows etc etc and then found out you don't have enough LP to open up the license for the gun you just bought for 100,000 gils . Story The story is great I must say but it is very short . Considering that I can only play on weekends cos I need to work during the week , 4 weeks into it , I am near the end - and that's include I spent time on character development and quite a bit of optional boss fighting . So the story is very short but very gripping ( at least for me ) It is completely different from other FF games in terms of style , more on a political thriller side with some fantasy themes but it is great . That's the only thing that keeps me going with the game . The voice acting is superb . They have British actors to do voice acting this time and there tons of different accents in the game to represent different tribes and social class in the world of Ivalice . I think that is very clever . Also no more cheerful cutesy and annoying little girl character bouncing and jumping around . That is a huge improvement . Music and Visual It is not as good as other FF games . It's not that they are bad but just not memorable . The style change failed to make players remember a particular piece of music for particular areas e.g . you remember the HoneyB Mansion in FF VII , the opening theme in FF VIII and the Zanarkand Theme in FF X . But you can't remember anything in this game . It sounds familiar when they recyle the same music in the same area , but that's all . You can relate anything to the game by just listening to the music . Visual wise , I must say it is the most beautiful and detail game in FF history . Some of the areas you just want to look around because they are so well done and detailed that it's just a pleasure to look at it . However , because of all the details and sharp images , my eyes get really tired after a while , which is not common for me at all cos that doesn't exist in any other games that I've played since I started gaming . My other friend , who is another hard core gamer has the same problem too . So that is something to take into consideration . Overall It is a decent game , just not a memorable game . Personally I think it is a bit overrated and I do think that Square-Enix has lost the plot for the FF games . It's disappointing that it tried to create something to please global audience but then it failed to look like anything in the end . In terms of quality , other FF games are far superb except for FF X2 which is a complete mistake to even have that one . If someone wants to play action RPGs they can play Zelda or Champions of Norrath etc . FF games as a stake holder in the RPG genre is because FF games own unique style and system , but FF XII lost it all . The story is a huge advance for Square-Enix but that's all .
• 219 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Man I HATED this game so bad when i first started it . Dont get me wrong the intro was awesome and the story started from the get go , but once the gameplay kicked in , I almost instantaniously wanted to press the off on my PS2 . Where could I begin , probably the camera which can be awarded the worst camera in a game ever . then there was the battle system . Not to say there is anything wrong with change , it just didnt sit right with me . and then there was the license system . I thought that was the stupidest idea ever . I knew for sure the next 60 plus hours were going to be a horrible grind if I actually went through playing it . . . . and boy am I glad I did . Maybe a few FF fans like me felt the same way I did when they first started this game . It is a wild departure from all the others and in fact if it wasnt for the FF traditions such as moogles KUPO ! ! chocobos , crystals and the such , it could be an entirely different game altogether . It did take me awhile to get used to it , but let me advise all the people who are greeted by the initial shock i did . it is worth it to keep playing . Yes the camera system sucks . you can somewhat get used to it but after 40 hours of play im still at times going ARGGGH ! ! ! at points when the view gets totally skewed . I mean it is an RPG so there isnt really any cheap falling to your death cause of camera work like in action or platformer games . it is more like a major annoyance . The battle system , although it takes some getting used to is actually very innovative and fun & easy once you get into the meat of the game . and it makes travel a breeze . no longer do you stop every twenty steps to a blured screen and monsters ( although i do miss battle music ) so no load times and no random battles means that the dungeons are more of a fun experience . and if you want to avoid enemies its a cinch also . the only complaint i have about the system is out of combat you still have to deal with action times . in all the other FF games all you had to do wqs go to the item menu and pop tonics or potions and it took just a few seconds . now if you are hurting and you have multiple status ailments , you have to pop one potion wait a few seconds go back to the action menu pop another one , add nausem . a small complaint , but it does get annoying once in a while . another small complaint , is you cant skip the mist ability animations , so everytime you do a 10 hit combo , it takes forever ! ! ! ! yeah they look cool the FIRST time . And the license system . it sounded like a dumb idea , and it was annyoing at first , but it actually gives me a lot of goals to work for , and its actually kind of addicting . i would be working my way to a boss and get to a save point , then i would alocate points for licenses , and i would be like ohhh only 15 more points till a HP agment . I would earn that and then would be like ohhhh 10 more points to attack power augment . and before you know it , i would be leveled up . I was lvl 44 by the time i was traveling to arcadia through the coast . The storyline is one of the best and most interesting of the FFs , certainly the most political . It is a little more complex than some of the other storylines , more mature , so it does take more attention to grasp everything , but it holds your attention well . and keeps you playing . Graphics are to FF standard . Unreal cutscenes which makes me wonder if we need a new PS or XBox , and stellar in game graphics . musical score is also superb , although some world music can get a little bland and repetative during some of the longer dungeons . i wish they had some battle music or more atmospoheric music during some of the fights . Over all this is a great game . to be honest with you , i havent been able to get excited about FF as much as I used to , In my opinion they havent come out with a truly Awesome FF since 6 ( 7 is WAY over rated ) . 9 and 10 were pretty entertaining , and i wasn't to thrilled with 11 being a MMO and all that . 12 is a big step forward , and i feel if 13 is anything near this quality then that is reason to be excited about FF once more . i give this game 4.5 stars , not 4 .
• 220 4  Man I HATED this game so bad when i first started it . Dont get me wrong the intro was awesome and the story started from the get go , but once the gameplay kicked in , I almost instantaniously wanted to press the off on my PS2 . Where could I begin , probably the camera which can be awarded the worst camera in a game ever . then there was the battle system . Not to say there is anything wrong with change , it just didnt sit right with me . and then there was the license system . I thought that was the stupidest idea ever . I knew for sure the next 60 plus hours were going to be a horrible grind if I actually went through playing it . . . . and boy am I glad I did . Maybe a few FF fans like me felt the same way I did when they first started this game . It is a wild departure from all the others and in fact if it wasnt for the FF traditions such as moogles KUPO ! ! chocobos , crystals and the such , it could be an entirely different game altogether . It did take me awhile to get used to it , but let me advise all the people who are greeted by the initial shock i did . it is worth it to keep playing . Yes the camera system sucks . you can somewhat get used to it but after 40 hours of play im still at times going ARGGGH ! ! ! at points when the view gets totally skewed . I mean it is an RPG so there isnt really any cheap falling to your death cause of camera work like in action or platformer games . it is more like a major annoyance . The battle system , although it takes some getting used to is actually very innovative and fun & easy once you get into the meat of the game . and it makes travel a breeze . no longer do you stop every twenty steps to a blured screen and monsters ( although i do miss battle music ) so no load times and no random battles means that the dungeons are more of a fun experience . and if you want to avoid enemies its a cinch also . the only complaint i have about the system is out of combat you still have to deal with action times . in all the other FF games all you had to do wqs go to the item menu and pop tonics or potions and it took just a few seconds . now if you are hurting and you have multiple status ailments , you have to pop one potion wait a few seconds go back to the action menu pop another one , add nausem . a small complaint , but it does get annoying once in a while . another small complaint , is you cant skip the mist ability animations , so everytime you do a 10 hit combo , it takes forever ! ! ! ! yeah they look cool the FIRST time . And the license system . it sounded like a dumb idea , and it was annyoing at first , but it actually gives me a lot of goals to work for , and its actually kind of addicting . i would be working my way to a boss and get to a save point , then i would alocate points for licenses , and i would be like ohhh only 15 more points till a HP agment . I would earn that and then would be like ohhhh 10 more points to attack power augment . and before you know it , i would be leveled up . I was lvl 44 by the time i was traveling to arcadia through the coast . The storyline is one of the best and most interesting of the FFs , certainly the most political . It is a little more complex than some of the other storylines , more mature , so it does take more attention to grasp everything , but it holds your attention well . and keeps you playing . Graphics are to FF standard . Unreal cutscenes which makes me wonder if we need a new PS or XBox , and stellar in game graphics . musical score is also superb , although some world music can get a little bland and repetative during some of the longer dungeons . i wish they had some battle music or more atmospoheric music during some of the fights . Over all this is a great game . to be honest with you , i havent been able to get excited about FF as much as I used to , In my opinion they havent come out with a truly Awesome FF since 6 ( 7 is WAY over rated ) . 9 and 10 were pretty entertaining , and i wasn't to thrilled with 11 being a MMO and all that . 12 is a big step forward , and i feel if 13 is anything near this quality then that is reason to be excited about FF once more . i give this game 4.5 stars , not 4 .
• 224 4  This game has fantastic graphics , and hours of available gameplay . Unfortunately , it really doesn't have much more than that . I really think they were over-compensating for all of the complaints they received about Final Fantasy X ( which was a great game in my opinion ) . Final Fantasy X was great , but pretty linear . The plot was fantastic , but you didn't do much outside of the plot . This game , in contrast , is almost entirely sidequests . They never have any character development whatsoever , so even if Dalmasca or whatever wins , you really don't care all that much . The actual game then isn't that good . Speaking of the actual game , the battle system is incredibly ill conceived . Other reviews state that eventually all of the characters become the same . A more accurate way of putting this is that within a few hours of getting a new character , they will be exactly the same as all of the rest of your characters . You spend the game rotating in and out a team of 6 pretty much identical fighters . The graphics are great , but sometimes it's hard to follow what's going on on the screen itself given it's new and improved battle engine . Really , it helps to just follow everything on the mini-map , which pretty much means that you can and will play a significant amount of the game as a small triangle trying to find little dots on a circle . I'm sure on the main screen there are beautiful cities , landscapes , and monsters to look at , but really you just follow the action on the mini-map . Not only that , but with the gambit system , they've taken all of the hard or strategic things out of the fighting . The game tells you that you should give each character a specialty and have them use teamwork . This is a lie . Fairly quickly , it's easy to devise a system that works on minimal input from the player , so really you ( the triangle ) , will really just go towards dots ( the enemies ) and then the game will figure out how to fight them for you . Occasionally you'll have something manual to do like run away or rotate out a character , which means that throughout the entire battle you are looking at a ) the mini map and b ) your stats . This wouldn't be a problem except that fighting monsters is something like 95% of the game . You get tasks , you level up to beat the next big monster , you fight the monster , repeat . Occasionally there is some kind of plot that you're supposed to be paying attention to , but it really all blends together . I should also note that I really wanted to like this game . I love the Final Fantasy series in general ! This game was just awful though .
• 225 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) this game doesn't need a review , anyone who has played a final fantasy game knows that are of the best rpg's ever made
• 231 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I won't take up much of your time with a wordy review but here are the basics : Graphics : Absolutely amazing , one of the best games graphics-wise on PS2 Story : Deep , Intriguing , Refreshing , a little confusing at times but very good once you get into the game a few hours . Gameplay : Battle system is amazing . A mix of turn-based and real time , Gambits were a great addition , no more having to wait to enter a battle , fight , exit a battle , see what items you recieved . The new system makes all of this seamless and much faster , letting you battle ten times faster than in previous FF games . Much longer than previous installments as well . I ended at well over 100 hrs with all the sidequests . Music : Breathtaking . And there is fanfare . . . it's just not played every single battle you ever fight , it's there after major boss battles , why do you need to hear it 5,000 times in one game . No battle music to get sick of and all of the tracks throughout are individual and really fit the environments . Most definitely beats the music from X and X - 2 . Overall : If you're a Final Fantasy fan , you should be very pleased . If you just want a good RPG , you will also be pleased . And if you just want one of the best games available for the PS2 , this is for you .
• 232 4  I won't take up much of your time with a wordy review but here are the basics : Graphics : Absolutely amazing , one of the best games graphics-wise on PS2 Story : Deep , Intriguing , Refreshing , a little confusing at times but very good once you get into the game a few hours . Gameplay : Battle system is amazing . A mix of turn-based and real time , Gambits were a great addition , no more having to wait to enter a battle , fight , exit a battle , see what items you recieved . The new system makes all of this seamless and much faster , letting you battle ten times faster than in previous FF games . Much longer than previous installments as well . I ended at well over 100 hrs with all the sidequests . Music : Breathtaking . And there is fanfare . . . it's just not played every single battle you ever fight , it's there after major boss battles , why do you need to hear it 5,000 times in one game . No battle music to get sick of and all of the tracks throughout are individual and really fit the environments . Most definitely beats the music from X and X - 2 . Overall : If you're a Final Fantasy fan , you should be very pleased . If you just want a good RPG , you will also be pleased . And if you just want one of the best games available for the PS2 , this is for you .
• 233 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII came onto the RPG scene with a lot of hype , and it lives up to most of it . It is a great game overall , with a fun battle system , decent level of challenge and good graphics . I also really liked the gambit system . There's not much worse than when you lose a battle because the AI did something stupid . . . Being able to specify exactly what your AI does when really helps out an active battle system like this . I liked the game , and it was definitely worthy of the name Final Fantasy , but they missed a few things that could have made it better than FFX . The treasure system is out of place in a single-player RPG . It would work fine in an MMO , but a pseudo-random treasure system like this is not appropriate for a single player game . I like to play RPG's for the first time without a book , but how should I know that opening very specific treasure chests in the early game would change the chance of me getting one of the best weapons in the game later from guaranteed to 1 / 1000 ? I can't think of a decent reason why they would do it like that . . . ? Another thing was the excessively young characters . The main character in the game is supposedly fifteen , and acts much more mature and adult-like throughout the story . This has been a recent trend in RPG's that I honestly wish would stop . 18 - 22 is fine and realistic for the kinds of dialogue present in the game . . . but 15 is sort of a stretch .
• 234 4  Final Fantasy XII came onto the RPG scene with a lot of hype , and it lives up to most of it . It is a great game overall , with a fun battle system , decent level of challenge and good graphics . I also really liked the gambit system . There's not much worse than when you lose a battle because the AI did something stupid . . . Being able to specify exactly what your AI does when really helps out an active battle system like this . I liked the game , and it was definitely worthy of the name Final Fantasy , but they missed a few things that could have made it better than FFX . The treasure system is out of place in a single-player RPG . It would work fine in an MMO , but a pseudo-random treasure system like this is not appropriate for a single player game . I like to play RPG's for the first time without a book , but how should I know that opening very specific treasure chests in the early game would change the chance of me getting one of the best weapons in the game later from guaranteed to 1 / 1000 ? I can't think of a decent reason why they would do it like that . . . ? Another thing was the excessively young characters . The main character in the game is supposedly fifteen , and acts much more mature and adult-like throughout the story . This has been a recent trend in RPG's that I honestly wish would stop . 18 - 22 is fine and realistic for the kinds of dialogue present in the game . . . but 15 is sort of a stretch .
• 235 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I bought this game a couple weeks ago , and I must say that the only time I'm not playing this game is when I'm sleeping or when I'm at work . I'm not usually so sucked in by video games . . . but this one is too fun to put down . At first , the game seems frustrating . Another reviewer mentioned that it takes too long to attack a foe . Such problems start to diminish the longer you play . By using the lisence board , you can gain new abilities ( speed of attack included ) . Like many games , this one gets off to a slow start ; but a little patience pays off . I'd say don't knock this game until you've had a chance to advance your characters a bit . It's worth the time and effort . As always , the game has beautiful graphics , likeable characters , and a good storyline .
• 236 4  I bought this game a couple weeks ago , and I must say that the only time I'm not playing this game is when I'm sleeping or when I'm at work . I'm not usually so sucked in by video games . . . but this one is too fun to put down . At first , the game seems frustrating . Another reviewer mentioned that it takes too long to attack a foe . Such problems start to diminish the longer you play . By using the lisence board , you can gain new abilities ( speed of attack included ) . Like many games , this one gets off to a slow start ; but a little patience pays off . I'd say don't knock this game until you've had a chance to advance your characters a bit . It's worth the time and effort . As always , the game has beautiful graphics , likeable characters , and a good storyline .
• 237 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Now I've certainly played my share of console RPGs , but i must say that this game , like none other perfects the graphical element of what the game is trying to do . The graphics simply fit the story . The sound to a lesser extent is also very fitting . Unfortunately that's about it . Though the game creates a great mood most of the time , and keeps a good story going . . . there is simply too much time spent leveling up to justify the amount of time you will need to put into this game to beat it . I tend to like my role playing games long and involved but this was too much . I mean they had a good story , a decent battle system , good visuals , well done sound and music and just threw it away . The pace of game is like a Squarepusher album ; sometimes you are moving around at a suitable pace , and then all of a sudden you find yourself leveling and doing meaningless side-quests for what seems like forever . I have other problems with this game such as the characters ( in Ivalice there are many different races but your characters are all hume except one . . . ) , and the lack of meaningful items and magics , but the biggest is really just the continuity . The game is a strong one and is probably worth your time but I would seriously expect anyone with a limited patience to forsake this game and pick up something a bit more brief . Still I give this game 4 stars because it is well executed in many ways , but there should have been more time spent on creating new items , and developing the story then on creating a world where you have to hack and slash your way for hours upon hours .
• 238 4  Now I've certainly played my share of console RPGs , but i must say that this game , like none other perfects the graphical element of what the game is trying to do . The graphics simply fit the story . The sound to a lesser extent is also very fitting . Unfortunately that's about it . Though the game creates a great mood most of the time , and keeps a good story going . . . there is simply too much time spent leveling up to justify the amount of time you will need to put into this game to beat it . I tend to like my role playing games long and involved but this was too much . I mean they had a good story , a decent battle system , good visuals , well done sound and music and just threw it away . The pace of game is like a Squarepusher album ; sometimes you are moving around at a suitable pace , and then all of a sudden you find yourself leveling and doing meaningless side-quests for what seems like forever . I have other problems with this game such as the characters ( in Ivalice there are many different races but your characters are all hume except one . . . ) , and the lack of meaningful items and magics , but the biggest is really just the continuity . The game is a strong one and is probably worth your time but I would seriously expect anyone with a limited patience to forsake this game and pick up something a bit more brief . Still I give this game 4 stars because it is well executed in many ways , but there should have been more time spent on creating new items , and developing the story then on creating a world where you have to hack and slash your way for hours upon hours .
• 241 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I've been playing Squaresoft ( now known as Square-Enix ) games for years , this is the only game I've played besides Chrono Trigger that doesn't have random battles . Thank God ! Random battles drive me nuts and I can't be the only one . FF fans know how it is , you're two steps away from an entrance or an exit , you don't really feel like dealing with enemies , and then , WRAMP ! WRAMP ! WRAMP ! ( battle music starts playing ) , and then you're like son of a . . . . . ! ( Sorry , got a little carried away , I'm just glad Square-Enix took a break from random battles , back to the review . ) I like the battle system in this one . It almost feels like you're playing the online Final Fantasy , especially when your gambits are turned on . As with all Final Fantasy games there is a new system for endowing your characters with awesome skills and magic . The new license system is kind of unique . You earn license points by battling monsters and the like , then once you accumulate enough license points you can buy a license . You have to buy a license for magic , weapons , armor , and skills before you can equip them . Then you have to buy the actual equipment and magic , also you have to make sure you buy the right license for your characters . There is probably something I'm missing , but I can't elaborate any further on licenses because I'm still learning . It's almost like Final Fantasy X's system , but just a little different to say the least . In closing , this game is a must have not only for an FF fan , but for any RPG aficionado . Heck , even someone who can't stand RPG's might like this one . The only thing I see missing is a character with that famous name you always see in Final Fantasy , maybe I haven't played far enough or maybe Square-Enix decided to stop doing that . True FF fans know what I'm talking about .
• 242 4  I've been playing Squaresoft ( now known as Square-Enix ) games for years , this is the only game I've played besides Chrono Trigger that doesn't have random battles . Thank God ! Random battles drive me nuts and I can't be the only one . FF fans know how it is , you're two steps away from an entrance or an exit , you don't really feel like dealing with enemies , and then , WRAMP ! WRAMP ! WRAMP ! ( battle music starts playing ) , and then you're like son of a . . . . . ! ( Sorry , got a little carried away , I'm just glad Square-Enix took a break from random battles , back to the review . ) I like the battle system in this one . It almost feels like you're playing the online Final Fantasy , especially when your gambits are turned on . As with all Final Fantasy games there is a new system for endowing your characters with awesome skills and magic . The new license system is kind of unique . You earn license points by battling monsters and the like , then once you accumulate enough license points you can buy a license . You have to buy a license for magic , weapons , armor , and skills before you can equip them . Then you have to buy the actual equipment and magic , also you have to make sure you buy the right license for your characters . There is probably something I'm missing , but I can't elaborate any further on licenses because I'm still learning . It's almost like Final Fantasy X's system , but just a little different to say the least . In closing , this game is a must have not only for an FF fan , but for any RPG aficionado . Heck , even someone who can't stand RPG's might like this one . The only thing I see missing is a character with that famous name you always see in Final Fantasy , maybe I haven't played far enough or maybe Square-Enix decided to stop doing that . True FF fans know what I'm talking about .
• 243 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) The one superb attribute of FFXII that trumps its few negatives is the new battle and character leveling processes . True , the story and music are arguably not as refined as previous FFs and other epic RPGs like Knights of the Old Republic . Also , I agree that this title doesn't have that Fantasy feel anymore and feels more realistic . However , the combat & leveling-up processes are superior to other RPGs , at least the ones I played . This quality makes the game real fun to play . For some folks , the biggest drawback in turned-based RPGs are the endless time-consuming randomized battles that must be completed to level up your characters enough to fight bosses and complete major story-line missions effectively . Though you still have to battle a great deal of randomized baddies to level up your characters , in most cases , the end user is in total control of what they choose to fight and when as well as disposing of said enemies quickly . The new combat system that Final Fantasy XII employs is not really a new gaming idea . I have never played an MMORPG , but Knights of the Old Republic for XBOX uses the same semi-real-time combat system . FFXII takes that to the next level by allowing the end user to design a highly detailed and situational script / algorithm for characters to follow in battle ( the Gambit system ) . With all of this said , the end user still has the ability to bypass the script at any point in combat to control the actions of each character . In addition , the leveling up process , though admittedly a little hard to comprehend at first , is simply awesome once you get used to it . The end user has the ability to make each of their characters as flexible as they wish and not follow a semi-predetermined skillset destiny like in FFX . The cut scene graphics are spectacular . However , the in-game graphics are certainly not going to wow anyone like Metal Gear Solid 3 or Ninja Gaiden did . However , the graphics are better than any other RPG on PS2 and the 3D camera is a big plus . Also , the one understated quality about FFXII is the good voice-acting , a rarity in Japanese video games when translated to English . In closing , I highly recommend this amazing epic production and I am sure most people will enjoy playing the game .
• 244 4  The one superb attribute of FFXII that trumps its few negatives is the new battle and character leveling processes . True , the story and music are arguably not as refined as previous FFs and other epic RPGs like Knights of the Old Republic . Also , I agree that this title doesn't have that Fantasy feel anymore and feels more realistic . However , the combat & leveling-up processes are superior to other RPGs , at least the ones I played . This quality makes the game real fun to play . For some folks , the biggest drawback in turned-based RPGs are the endless time-consuming randomized battles that must be completed to level up your characters enough to fight bosses and complete major story-line missions effectively . Though you still have to battle a great deal of randomized baddies to level up your characters , in most cases , the end user is in total control of what they choose to fight and when as well as disposing of said enemies quickly . The new combat system that Final Fantasy XII employs is not really a new gaming idea . I have never played an MMORPG , but Knights of the Old Republic for XBOX uses the same semi-real-time combat system . FFXII takes that to the next level by allowing the end user to design a highly detailed and situational script / algorithm for characters to follow in battle ( the Gambit system ) . With all of this said , the end user still has the ability to bypass the script at any point in combat to control the actions of each character . In addition , the leveling up process , though admittedly a little hard to comprehend at first , is simply awesome once you get used to it . The end user has the ability to make each of their characters as flexible as they wish and not follow a semi-predetermined skillset destiny like in FFX . The cut scene graphics are spectacular . However , the in-game graphics are certainly not going to wow anyone like Metal Gear Solid 3 or Ninja Gaiden did . However , the graphics are better than any other RPG on PS2 and the 3D camera is a big plus . Also , the one understated quality about FFXII is the good voice-acting , a rarity in Japanese video games when translated to English . In closing , I highly recommend this amazing epic production and I am sure most people will enjoy playing the game .
• 245 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is perhaps the finest moment in the Final Fantasy series , although I haven't played VII - 2 yet , but I somehow doubt it's better . After VIII I was almost ready to give up , but X and X - 2 where vast returns to form , now with XII , they've made leaps and bounds . Unlike X - 2 that took away the explorative feeling by having you return to the airship and then simply choose your next location ( I didn't like this at all , it feels too much like a level based game than an RPG ) FFXII feels more like the original Nintendo versions , you walk , you explore and you choose your own path . The graphics are also excellent . The characters are large on the screen and for the first time you can move the camera ( I've missed this on PS2 games , since nearly all the GC games allow this ) so you don't feel like every time you walk to close to a way your stuck and can't see around you . The screen expands to 16 : 9 for widescreen owners ( hint , invest in a composite adapter to increase resolution and provide progressive scan capability . ) This is the first PS2 game I've owned that offers widescreen . The battle system is simular to Diablo , no more being sucked into battles by invisible foes , they are all there all the time . However , the battle system is much , much better . Also , you control your party leader as in any FF game , not with some lame mouse pointer ! The battles are fast and intense here , no the slow , plotting style of the old FF games . You have added issues to , as more enimies can wonder in and join the battles in progress adding a new dimension to the game . Using gamebits you can give pre-planned general instructions to your party , litterally , they will fight on thier own if you let them ! This is the fastest paced , possibly bigest and best looking of the FF series . It has more crossover apeal to the Zelda action / rpg crowd as well and I can't state how addicting it is !
• 246 4  This is perhaps the finest moment in the Final Fantasy series , although I haven't played VII - 2 yet , but I somehow doubt it's better . After VIII I was almost ready to give up , but X and X - 2 where vast returns to form , now with XII , they've made leaps and bounds . Unlike X - 2 that took away the explorative feeling by having you return to the airship and then simply choose your next location ( I didn't like this at all , it feels too much like a level based game than an RPG ) FFXII feels more like the original Nintendo versions , you walk , you explore and you choose your own path . The graphics are also excellent . The characters are large on the screen and for the first time you can move the camera ( I've missed this on PS2 games , since nearly all the GC games allow this ) so you don't feel like every time you walk to close to a way your stuck and can't see around you . The screen expands to 16 : 9 for widescreen owners ( hint , invest in a composite adapter to increase resolution and provide progressive scan capability . ) This is the first PS2 game I've owned that offers widescreen . The battle system is simular to Diablo , no more being sucked into battles by invisible foes , they are all there all the time . However , the battle system is much , much better . Also , you control your party leader as in any FF game , not with some lame mouse pointer ! The battles are fast and intense here , no the slow , plotting style of the old FF games . You have added issues to , as more enimies can wonder in and join the battles in progress adding a new dimension to the game . Using gamebits you can give pre-planned general instructions to your party , litterally , they will fight on thier own if you let them ! This is the fastest paced , possibly bigest and best looking of the FF series . It has more crossover apeal to the Zelda action / rpg crowd as well and I can't state how addicting it is !
• 247 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I think this might be one of my favorites from the FF series . I think all of the characters are awesome . And their overdrives are very cool too .
• 248 4  I think this might be one of my favorites from the FF series . I think all of the characters are awesome . And their overdrives are very cool too .
• 252 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) The hype for this game before it was released was huge . It had been a long time sense FFX came out ( and FFX - 2 was disappointing to many , and XI was an online game which many more sat out ) so this was supposed to be the next big epic RPG , and the last hurah for the PS2 . But sadly , it kinda stunk . the battle system is interesting , as it was the first one that didn't go into separate battle and map modes , but after you figure out how to properly use the gambit system then you find yourself just walking around bored to tears every time there is another automated battle . Also , while the FF series is known for it's side quests , they are usually optional . In this game ( while still technically optional ) they are the only way to level up your characters enough to beat the bosses . Now the story actually isn't too bad , but when you have to do 3 - 4 side quests in between every section of story , then the story gets lost and you find yourself wondering wait , why was I here again ? . On top of that I kept wondering what kept the party together . I mean , you have people of all walks of life on this quest together , but they are all annoyed with one another , and really could do better on their own . There was no united cause or personal interest that kept them together , and so the interactions between the characters were less than inspiring . But hours and hours of trying to find your next mark , make the mark appear , and then defeat it , gets very repetitive , and only serves to interrupt what little story there was . The graphics were a pain as well . They broke the screen up into several boxes , and render each box separately . It does allow the poor old PS2 to have more detail , but it makes everything blurred , and strange looking . And god help you if you try to play it on a PS3 , or upscale it in any way ! The game looks absolutely terrible at that point . Lastly , though still important , the audio was annoying . The music was alright ( but hardly spectacular or iconic like other FF games ) , but the way they did the VO audio was downright annoying ! They were trying to make the characters sound more ' live ' and personal by removing much of the bass , and adding some room noise and acoustics . A great idea , but they did it wrong , so all the characters sound like they have their noses partially plugged as if they have a cold , and the room noise is only there during dialogue , so the feel of the audio keeps switching between being live and dead with every line . If you are a die-hard FF fan , then play it , and enjoy it for what it is ( an overdone version of FF tactics ) , but do not expect this to be a fun game that pulls you into a story like other FF greats . It is a good thing FFXIII is good , because after X - 2 , XI , and XII I was about to write off the franchise completely .
• 253 4  The hype for this game before it was released was huge . It had been a long time sense FFX came out ( and FFX - 2 was disappointing to many , and XI was an online game which many more sat out ) so this was supposed to be the next big epic RPG , and the last hurah for the PS2 . But sadly , it kinda stunk . the battle system is interesting , as it was the first one that didn't go into separate battle and map modes , but after you figure out how to properly use the gambit system then you find yourself just walking around bored to tears every time there is another automated battle . Also , while the FF series is known for it's side quests , they are usually optional . In this game ( while still technically optional ) they are the only way to level up your characters enough to beat the bosses . Now the story actually isn't too bad , but when you have to do 3 - 4 side quests in between every section of story , then the story gets lost and you find yourself wondering wait , why was I here again ? . On top of that I kept wondering what kept the party together . I mean , you have people of all walks of life on this quest together , but they are all annoyed with one another , and really could do better on their own . There was no united cause or personal interest that kept them together , and so the interactions between the characters were less than inspiring . But hours and hours of trying to find your next mark , make the mark appear , and then defeat it , gets very repetitive , and only serves to interrupt what little story there was . The graphics were a pain as well . They broke the screen up into several boxes , and render each box separately . It does allow the poor old PS2 to have more detail , but it makes everything blurred , and strange looking . And god help you if you try to play it on a PS3 , or upscale it in any way ! The game looks absolutely terrible at that point . Lastly , though still important , the audio was annoying . The music was alright ( but hardly spectacular or iconic like other FF games ) , but the way they did the VO audio was downright annoying ! They were trying to make the characters sound more ' live ' and personal by removing much of the bass , and adding some room noise and acoustics . A great idea , but they did it wrong , so all the characters sound like they have their noses partially plugged as if they have a cold , and the room noise is only there during dialogue , so the feel of the audio keeps switching between being live and dead with every line . If you are a die-hard FF fan , then play it , and enjoy it for what it is ( an overdone version of FF tactics ) , but do not expect this to be a fun game that pulls you into a story like other FF greats . It is a good thing FFXIII is good , because after X - 2 , XI , and XII I was about to write off the franchise completely .
• 255 4  There are some games that have trouble moving forward over the years : either the type of game falls out of favor ( like Adventure games did for a while ) or the technology flies forward with no real way to adapt the old to the new . Worst of all , being a sequel that comes from a long line of sequels can bring massive amounts of excess baggage from the game's predecessors that can't ( or won't ) be jettisoned . Having played many an RPG , I'm very pleased to say that Final Fantasy XII navigates smoothly around all these troubles . It does an excellent job of focusing on what matters most : a rich Role-Playing Game experience that is also rather easy to use . Having tried their hand at just about every variation of the genre , Square Enix gives us this culmination of lessons learned , and the end product is immersive , beautiful , and fun . Players used to the Final Fantasy series are also accustomed to having unique and complex capabilities as far as HOW they play . If I were to start telling you about FFXII's Licenses , Gambits , Mists , and ESPers , chances are your head would spin - - it's deep stuff . In earlier titles like Final Fantasy VIII this was problematic : the way you handled abilities and magical creatures who help you and special boosts to your weapons and stats was complicated and hard to keep track of . Here however we have a smooth flow that slowly introduces you to the concepts and gives you a chance to try each one as you progress in the game . Gameplay elements are better organized and not as dependent on each other . Perhaps one of the best features in the game is Gambits : instead of manually managing every character's every action in every turn , you can apply a certain amount of intelligence to your characters using multiple rules that you create . This can easily be done . For example , you can have your healer heal anyone when their health falls below 40% . You can have a party member choose to attack the nearest enemies , or to focus on whichever enemy the leader is attacking . You can tell a magic using character to throw certain spells based on certain events . You can organize the Gambits to better automate actions : attack whatever the party leader is attacking . Failing that , just attack the nearest enemy . And with one tap of a button , you can override these behaviors at any time . Another excellent feature is Licenses . They represent a grid of all the possible skills a character can have , and they give you a seemingly infinite depth of choices for each player : no longer do you have to choose narrow character types , like Mage , Fighter , Healer . Instead you simply choose how to spend points you accumulate to pick skills , spells , and equipment for each . Naturally , this makes character mistakes easy to remedy , and it also means replaying the game can be a very different experience every time . There are other exciting features to the gameplay that would easily double the size of this review . . . so let's move on to the game elements themselves . Probably the only real limitation to this game is that it was crafted for the PlayStation 2 . Cutscenes are stunningly gorgeous , but while the in-game graphics are among the best the PS2 had to offer , this still means things look a bit blocky , edges jagged and detail a bit muddied . When you play , you will face loading screens that transition you from one area to another , but thankfully Square occasionally fills the gaps a bit with cinematic-style transition scenes . Moving through the story brings characters who come and go : some are guests you have no control over . Others join with you and become playable characters you can control . You even have allies who may change sides , and the next thing you know you're battling your own comerades in the fight to save the world . My only complaint in this area is that you are only allowed to take 3 of your characters out of the box at a time . You can change back and forth any time you like , even swapping out KO'd characters for live ones , but it would be a bit more fun for me if I could have 4 characters under my control instead of 3 . Things don't stop there : while we have gorgeous artwork , a beautifully orchestrated score , rich gameplay , and a complex system with an easy learning curve , we get the rest of the package , too : great writing . Interesting characters with diverse backgrounds , storylines that peg the dramatic moments and bring you along on the highs and lows of the story , drawing you in to a deep and at times very complicated plot . There are political alliances and shadow arrangments , with people shifting sides as the story goes along . If you're interested in the Final Fantasy series , Final Fantasy XII is about as good as the later titles get . If you're already familiar with the series from earlier titles , you might be pleasantly surprised at the amount of polish that has been put on this title . If you're completely new to the RPG genre , expect this to be fairly complicated : read the manual closely , pay attention to tutorials , and do a little reading online to immerse yourself . I doubt you'll be disappointed .
• 256 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game , Final Fantasy XII , is one of the best ones I have played as an FF veteran . The fighting system , I admit , is a bit easy to take advantage of , but most of the battles are a perfect challenge . The dungeons in this game kind of annoyed me , but I did have fun . The storyline is great , there are a good number of twists and turns , too . I believe people who played Final Fantasy X and X - 2 should not purchase this game , that is if you are looking for mostly romance . This game does have a bit twinge of romance but not so much at all . But it is extremely action-packed . I have played X and X - 2 and honestly , this game was better . But I have seen a lot of people who quit the game early complaining it was too difficult , but for me it was not . Never give up ! This is a great game , you should follow through with it . Well worth the money . The graphics are okay ; better than X and X - 2 I should say , I absolutely loved the ending , it was very cute . There are 6 characters - Vaan , Penelo , Basch , Balthier , and Fran . Penelo , Balthier and Fran come early in the game ; but Ashe and Basch come later . What you basically would want to do in this game would be to pick your favorite three and fight the battles / train with them , or at least that's what I did . I just ignored Basch , Balthier , and Fran , only using them for Mist Quickenings . I would definitely play this game again .
• 257 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game , Final Fantasy XII , is one of the best ones I have played as an FF veteran . The fighting system , I admit , is a bit easy to take advantage of , but most of the battles are a perfect challenge . The dungeons in this game kind of annoyed me , but I did have fun . The storyline is great , there are a good number of twists and turns , too . I believe people who played Final Fantasy X and X - 2 should not purchase this game , that is if you are looking for mostly romance . This game does have a bit twinge of romance but not so much at all . But it is extremely action-packed . I have played X and X - 2 and honestly , this game was better . But I have seen a lot of people who quit the game early complaining it was too difficult , but for me it was not . Never give up ! This is a great game , you should follow through with it . Well worth the money . The graphics are okay ; better than X and X - 2 I should say , I absolutely loved the ending , it was very cute . There are 6 characters - Vaan , Penelo , Basch , Balthier , and Fran . Penelo , Balthier and Fran come early in the game ; but Ashe and Basch come later . What you basically would want to do in this game would be to pick your favorite three and fight the battles / train with them , or at least that's what I did . I just ignored Basch , Balthier , and Fran , only using them for Mist Quickenings . I would definitely play this game again .
• 258 4  This game , Final Fantasy XII , is one of the best ones I have played as an FF veteran . The fighting system , I admit , is a bit easy to take advantage of , but most of the battles are a perfect challenge . The dungeons in this game kind of annoyed me , but I did have fun . The storyline is great , there are a good number of twists and turns , too . I believe people who played Final Fantasy X and X - 2 should not purchase this game , that is if you are looking for mostly romance . This game does have a bit twinge of romance but not so much at all . But it is extremely action-packed . I have played X and X - 2 and honestly , this game was better . But I have seen a lot of people who quit the game early complaining it was too difficult , but for me it was not . Never give up ! This is a great game , you should follow through with it . Well worth the money . The graphics are okay ; better than X and X - 2 I should say , I absolutely loved the ending , it was very cute . There are 6 characters - Vaan , Penelo , Basch , Balthier , and Fran . Penelo , Balthier and Fran come early in the game ; but Ashe and Basch come later . What you basically would want to do in this game would be to pick your favorite three and fight the battles / train with them , or at least that's what I did . I just ignored Basch , Balthier , and Fran , only using them for Mist Quickenings . I would definitely play this game again .
• 259 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Like many others that have reviewed Final Fantasy XII , I have been playing Final Fantasy games since the original on the NES , and therefore have seen the franchise and storylines evolve into more and more amazing games , which has brought us into one of the best of the series , FF XII . In my opinion , XII is the best since FF VI ( III for the US , although Square-Enix has wisely brought them all to the US now ) in terms of story , and visually the most beautiful . I'll get into specifics as to why I enjoy this game so much , and also acknowledge its few faults . - World-Building / Storyline : FF XII differs from the other Final Fantasy games ( until very recently anyway ) by being a game within a greater world , that of Ivalice . Being part of Ivalice connects XII to all 3 Final Fantasy Tactics games plus the FF XII sequel Revenent Wings . What this means is that the story is a part of a greater whole ; on one hand , this is pretty cool because each game that's part of Ivalice gives the world more history and brings it to life , something very awesomely done in FF XII's Beastiary if you slay enough monsters . On the other hand , it also means the world-saving actions of our heroes aren't central to the world in a way that stopping Kefka or Sephiroth were , and I get the impression this bothers a lot of players . The storyline of a rebellion against an Empire ( with something sinister pulling the Empire's strings ) has some good twists and turns , but also isn't very rigid , allowing players like me to go off-track on side quests , which is why I've had the game for almost a year and still haven't beaten it . : - ) It's also visually beautiful ; the world has so many interesting locations , and the monsters / people move fluidly and are unique in their actions that it leaves you captivated . - Combat : It goes without saying that FF XII's system is very different from other FF games ; for starters , combat is very different ; the monsters are already present in an area , and players can avoid them or go after them as they wish , no more take a step , then . . . . COMBAT ! ! . It gets rid of random encounters , which could definitely get annoying at times when some dungeons had you fight every 2 - 3 steps , but there are so many critters in most areas you'll definitely get your carnage on . Combat has changed a bit as well ; real-time combat means you don't really want to scroll through all your spells and combat tecnicks to find the right one , so you're given gambits that will give your characters automatic actions when faced with certain situations , like automatically casting fire spells when facing undead . It's an attempt at programming your chars , and it is an interesting challenge using gambits in the right way to keep your chars alive . - Experience / buying stuff : Square-Enix definitely has tried to apply parts of MMOs to FF XII ; one way is the loot system ; when you kill a monster , most times instead of getting gold or items like weapons , which leads to questions like where does a wolf carry 100 gold pieces ? , you get bits like fur , teeth , etc . , that you need to sell to get money to buy weapons . This encourages you to go out and hunt monsters , because stuff is expensive and unlike other Final Fantasy games , the dungeons don't have as many treasure chests full of rare and awesome items . That's okay though because it encourages you to explore the world more , which has a lot to offer . Experience levels still exist , but skills are taken through purchasing licenses ; some complain that every character can gain every skill and be exactly the same . This is true , but it would take FOREVER to get all your characters to this point , and because your number gambits are limited , each character would still need to choose a role . I found the best way to use this system is to choose a couple of skill specifics for each character and develop those ; one of my characters focuses on black and white magic and uses ranged weapons , another is my tank with the heaviest armor and using axes and hammers and techniks , but also handles potions , another combateer focuses on swords , heavy armor , uses green & time magic . This makes the party well-rounded so you're not put in the ground by monsters while trying to decide what to do . - Characters : Character development is pretty standard rpg : You have your Princess Leia ( er , Ashe ) ; the Loyal Knight , the Outcast , and the Clueless Rookie . This isn't bad , just no big surprises . Balthier and surprisingly Penelo are the two party members who are more 3 - dimensional with more complicated backgrounds . The voice-overs are fine , and Balthier has some great lines about being a leading man . The dialogue can be funny too ; there's a great scene where Vaan breaks the Cardinal Rule about asking a lady her age . Still , the party has good camraderie during cut-scenes . Overall , Final Fantasy XII is an amazing game and one of the best of the Final Fantasy series ; it is visually captivating , challenging without being too frustrating , and a lot of fun . If you love a game where you can explore places , this game is for you , because you can roam and undertake dozens of hunts and sidequests before remembering you have an Empire to stop . Definitely a gemstone for the PS2 and one Square-Enix should be proud of .
• 260 4  Like many others that have reviewed Final Fantasy XII , I have been playing Final Fantasy games since the original on the NES , and therefore have seen the franchise and storylines evolve into more and more amazing games , which has brought us into one of the best of the series , FF XII . In my opinion , XII is the best since FF VI ( III for the US , although Square-Enix has wisely brought them all to the US now ) in terms of story , and visually the most beautiful . I'll get into specifics as to why I enjoy this game so much , and also acknowledge its few faults . - World-Building / Storyline : FF XII differs from the other Final Fantasy games ( until very recently anyway ) by being a game within a greater world , that of Ivalice . Being part of Ivalice connects XII to all 3 Final Fantasy Tactics games plus the FF XII sequel Revenent Wings . What this means is that the story is a part of a greater whole ; on one hand , this is pretty cool because each game that's part of Ivalice gives the world more history and brings it to life , something very awesomely done in FF XII's Beastiary if you slay enough monsters . On the other hand , it also means the world-saving actions of our heroes aren't central to the world in a way that stopping Kefka or Sephiroth were , and I get the impression this bothers a lot of players . The storyline of a rebellion against an Empire ( with something sinister pulling the Empire's strings ) has some good twists and turns , but also isn't very rigid , allowing players like me to go off-track on side quests , which is why I've had the game for almost a year and still haven't beaten it . : - ) It's also visually beautiful ; the world has so many interesting locations , and the monsters / people move fluidly and are unique in their actions that it leaves you captivated . - Combat : It goes without saying that FF XII's system is very different from other FF games ; for starters , combat is very different ; the monsters are already present in an area , and players can avoid them or go after them as they wish , no more take a step , then . . . . COMBAT ! ! . It gets rid of random encounters , which could definitely get annoying at times when some dungeons had you fight every 2 - 3 steps , but there are so many critters in most areas you'll definitely get your carnage on . Combat has changed a bit as well ; real-time combat means you don't really want to scroll through all your spells and combat tecnicks to find the right one , so you're given gambits that will give your characters automatic actions when faced with certain situations , like automatically casting fire spells when facing undead . It's an attempt at programming your chars , and it is an interesting challenge using gambits in the right way to keep your chars alive . - Experience / buying stuff : Square-Enix definitely has tried to apply parts of MMOs to FF XII ; one way is the loot system ; when you kill a monster , most times instead of getting gold or items like weapons , which leads to questions like where does a wolf carry 100 gold pieces ? , you get bits like fur , teeth , etc . , that you need to sell to get money to buy weapons . This encourages you to go out and hunt monsters , because stuff is expensive and unlike other Final Fantasy games , the dungeons don't have as many treasure chests full of rare and awesome items . That's okay though because it encourages you to explore the world more , which has a lot to offer . Experience levels still exist , but skills are taken through purchasing licenses ; some complain that every character can gain every skill and be exactly the same . This is true , but it would take FOREVER to get all your characters to this point , and because your number gambits are limited , each character would still need to choose a role . I found the best way to use this system is to choose a couple of skill specifics for each character and develop those ; one of my characters focuses on black and white magic and uses ranged weapons , another is my tank with the heaviest armor and using axes and hammers and techniks , but also handles potions , another combateer focuses on swords , heavy armor , uses green & time magic . This makes the party well-rounded so you're not put in the ground by monsters while trying to decide what to do . - Characters : Character development is pretty standard rpg : You have your Princess Leia ( er , Ashe ) ; the Loyal Knight , the Outcast , and the Clueless Rookie . This isn't bad , just no big surprises . Balthier and surprisingly Penelo are the two party members who are more 3 - dimensional with more complicated backgrounds . The voice-overs are fine , and Balthier has some great lines about being a leading man . The dialogue can be funny too ; there's a great scene where Vaan breaks the Cardinal Rule about asking a lady her age . Still , the party has good camraderie during cut-scenes . Overall , Final Fantasy XII is an amazing game and one of the best of the Final Fantasy series ; it is visually captivating , challenging without being too frustrating , and a lot of fun . If you love a game where you can explore places , this game is for you , because you can roam and undertake dozens of hunts and sidequests before remembering you have an Empire to stop . Definitely a gemstone for the PS2 and one Square-Enix should be proud of .
• 261 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) this is the best final fantasy that i played , of course its really worth buying it , i logged in more than 200 hours playing and beating everything in the game , i really got my moneys worth for this game , and i hope FF XIII is even better !
• 262 4  this is the best final fantasy that i played , of course its really worth buying it , i logged in more than 200 hours playing and beating everything in the game , i really got my moneys worth for this game , and i hope FF XIII is even better !
• 263 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII is an extremely long game . A 90 + hour game is not necessarily a bad thing , if the game keeps you interested . Unfortunately FF XII doesn't . When all is said and done it seems as if the story is told from the wrong perspective . The story as it stood had so much potential , if only it had been told from Ashe's perspective . A princess whose lost her love and struggles to regain her kingdom . The conflict of her feelings for her lost love and a new affection . In case your wondering who that affection was , it came in the form of Basch . Only at the very end of the game ( literally before the ending credits ) , does that conflict even arise . I agree with many of the previous posters who stated that you really don't connect with any of the characters . It's like the entire cast is playing a support role , but there is no protagonist to support . Final Fantasy XII does a lot of the little things right . The game is fun for about the first 40 hours . Then the game sort of stagnates . Where you expect relationships to build and character development to advance , nothing really happens . Even towards the end there is no climax , the story just kind of moves along then it's over . The Final Fantasy series in recent times have always had a solid story with great character development . XII has all the potential but never realizes it's potential . I play older Final Fantasy games from time to time because I like revisiting the story and the characters . I don't see myself playing this one again .
• 264 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII is an extremely long game . A 90 + hour game is not necessarily a bad thing , if the game keeps you interested . Unfortunately FF XII doesn't . When all is said and done it seems as if the story is told from the wrong perspective . The story as it stood had so much potential , if only it had been told from Ashe's perspective . A princess whose lost her love and struggles to regain her kingdom . The conflict of her feelings for her lost love and a new affection . In case your wondering who that affection was , it came in the form of Basch . Only at the very end of the game ( literally before the ending credits ) , does that conflict even arise . I agree with many of the previous posters who stated that you really don't connect with any of the characters . It's like the entire cast is playing a support role , but there is no protagonist to support . Final Fantasy XII does a lot of the little things right . The game is fun for about the first 40 hours . Then the game sort of stagnates . Where you expect relationships to build and character development to advance , nothing really happens . Even towards the end there is no climax , the story just kind of moves along then it's over . The Final Fantasy series in recent times have always had a solid story with great character development . XII has all the potential but never realizes it's potential . I play older Final Fantasy games from time to time because I like revisiting the story and the characters . I don't see myself playing this one again .
• 265 4  Final Fantasy XII is an extremely long game . A 90 + hour game is not necessarily a bad thing , if the game keeps you interested . Unfortunately FF XII doesn't . When all is said and done it seems as if the story is told from the wrong perspective . The story as it stood had so much potential , if only it had been told from Ashe's perspective . A princess whose lost her love and struggles to regain her kingdom . The conflict of her feelings for her lost love and a new affection . In case your wondering who that affection was , it came in the form of Basch . Only at the very end of the game ( literally before the ending credits ) , does that conflict even arise . I agree with many of the previous posters who stated that you really don't connect with any of the characters . It's like the entire cast is playing a support role , but there is no protagonist to support . Final Fantasy XII does a lot of the little things right . The game is fun for about the first 40 hours . Then the game sort of stagnates . Where you expect relationships to build and character development to advance , nothing really happens . Even towards the end there is no climax , the story just kind of moves along then it's over . The Final Fantasy series in recent times have always had a solid story with great character development . XII has all the potential but never realizes it's potential . I play older Final Fantasy games from time to time because I like revisiting the story and the characters . I don't see myself playing this one again .
• 266 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII certainly fulfills the requirements for terrific graphics , but it lacks in storyline . There is no specific focus on one character , which can often confuse the gamer on what is happening throughout the entire game . The gamer never truly knows what the purpose is for completing a mission or racing to an area to receive an item . The side quests can be rather lengthy ( SPOILER ) with one hunt for a monster that has over 10 million HP ! The game can never be fully completed unless this hunt is finished . It is tiring and takes a lot of time to complete . Once the hunt is completed , the gamer only obtains something small for their win . It made me feel as if the hunt was not worth it at all . If you like really long games with lots of side quests , then this is the game for you . If you would rather pay attention more to storyline or characters , then you probably should not play this game .
• 267 4  Final Fantasy XII certainly fulfills the requirements for terrific graphics , but it lacks in storyline . There is no specific focus on one character , which can often confuse the gamer on what is happening throughout the entire game . The gamer never truly knows what the purpose is for completing a mission or racing to an area to receive an item . The side quests can be rather lengthy ( SPOILER ) with one hunt for a monster that has over 10 million HP ! The game can never be fully completed unless this hunt is finished . It is tiring and takes a lot of time to complete . Once the hunt is completed , the gamer only obtains something small for their win . It made me feel as if the hunt was not worth it at all . If you like really long games with lots of side quests , then this is the game for you . If you would rather pay attention more to storyline or characters , then you probably should not play this game .
• 268 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) So many years after this came out , I actually got a chance to play it . Before the review , let me tell you one thing : I've been an avid fan of Final Fantasy for years . I have played every one ( excluding the only Japanese released FF's ) as well as some of the other Square created games like Parasite Eve and FF tactics . This is important because some people got started in the series at different period and thus have different bias . This game has some gorgeous content ; the world is huge and all yours to discover . It is easy to go off exploring for hours and find new environments , towns , and people that have nothing to do with the main plot . One of the first things I did when playing was to see how far I could go off into the world , regardless of what I was suppose to be doing . To make more incentive , there are things called hunts . These hunts take you off to every corner of the Earth to defeat a certain monster for a client and to get a bounty . Many times , you'll find yourself heading off into the wilderness not knowing exactly where you are going , destroying tons of monsters along the way , exploring , trying to find your way , learning new licenses , going off for hours and hours with no end in . . . . Wait ! Wait a minute ! Isn't Final Fantasy about the story , and if you are going off 5 hours at a time to do a few hunts , doesn't that make the story choppy ? Hell yes it does . The story has many strong foundations , but this kind of game play environment doesn't allow space for story . In one point in the game , the characters must tread past a highway , into a forested area , complete a fetch quest , head to a coast , then on to some highlands , through a cave , then to the city you were going for , complete some meaningless tasks , and then continue the story . I am not sure of the exact time for that whole sequence , but it is probably about 10 + hours , and that is just to further actually storyline if you manage to not get distracted by any side quests or exploration . So , with so much time passing between events , it is hard to keep up with the intricacies of the plot . Sometimes you'll only hear a person's name once in a 20 hour period and have to recall it to make sense of the actual storyline . While traveling these long distances , there is no talking , no discussion , and no character development . After spending 30 hours with the gang of FF6 , I felt like I knew them . After spending 40 hours with the folks at FF7 , I knew their personalities . This game however , I feel like I knew none of the characters as the little plot that is revealed is separated by hours and hours of travel . The characters aren't even likable in an unlikable way . Balthier is the only character that manages to make an impression and have some layers . In almost every FF , it is easy to tell why the characters have banded together . They are invested someway in how the story progresses . This FF though doesn't really explain why any of these characters , except the lead Lady Ashe of course , wants to continue . Basch is completely flat ; Penolo is a bit of a whiny girl ; Fran is just Balthier's side kick . The battle system was not a favorite . In reality , you don't actually end up playing the game - you are just walking . Gambits can be programed to automatically take over every command , so your characters just hack away . Espers , magic , and Techniques used by FF to make a more tactful game are unbalanced and you won't use any of them . So in these huge landscapes and with these mass areas to travel , you will just be walking while your characters automatically hack and slash . There are rare occasions when you have to take over for your characters which is the most frustrating part in the game . For you experienced RPGers : ever been in a situation when you knew roughly the HP of each monster , so you did one spell that attacked them all and had each character attack a separate monster so they would all die very quickly ? There will be none of that in FF12 . All of the tactics are gone as you don't control anything , and when you try too , the system in place is very hard to work against . The ending saved this FF from being a total mishap . It was fast-paced , good battles , and the storyline came to it's peak and I was able to care for the characters , even if it was for the last 5 hours out of 60 . The game began well , too . It's just that 40 + hours of exploration in between where the story is lost . Don't be surprised if you trudge through which seems half the globe to only forget why you are going there . All in all , this game had a wonderful exploration element . This is the thing that kept making me want to pick up the controller and play . I didn't mind to spend that much time and being able to see an entire world of people , things , and environment . The problem is that it gets old . There is no substance ; you aren't controlling anything or being rewarded with enough story . It will become very monotonous , and I just rolled past the last part of the game to just end it .
• 269 4  So many years after this came out , I actually got a chance to play it . Before the review , let me tell you one thing : I've been an avid fan of Final Fantasy for years . I have played every one ( excluding the only Japanese released FF's ) as well as some of the other Square created games like Parasite Eve and FF tactics . This is important because some people got started in the series at different period and thus have different bias . This game has some gorgeous content ; the world is huge and all yours to discover . It is easy to go off exploring for hours and find new environments , towns , and people that have nothing to do with the main plot . One of the first things I did when playing was to see how far I could go off into the world , regardless of what I was suppose to be doing . To make more incentive , there are things called hunts . These hunts take you off to every corner of the Earth to defeat a certain monster for a client and to get a bounty . Many times , you'll find yourself heading off into the wilderness not knowing exactly where you are going , destroying tons of monsters along the way , exploring , trying to find your way , learning new licenses , going off for hours and hours with no end in . . . . Wait ! Wait a minute ! Isn't Final Fantasy about the story , and if you are going off 5 hours at a time to do a few hunts , doesn't that make the story choppy ? Hell yes it does . The story has many strong foundations , but this kind of game play environment doesn't allow space for story . In one point in the game , the characters must tread past a highway , into a forested area , complete a fetch quest , head to a coast , then on to some highlands , through a cave , then to the city you were going for , complete some meaningless tasks , and then continue the story . I am not sure of the exact time for that whole sequence , but it is probably about 10 + hours , and that is just to further actually storyline if you manage to not get distracted by any side quests or exploration . So , with so much time passing between events , it is hard to keep up with the intricacies of the plot . Sometimes you'll only hear a person's name once in a 20 hour period and have to recall it to make sense of the actual storyline . While traveling these long distances , there is no talking , no discussion , and no character development . After spending 30 hours with the gang of FF6 , I felt like I knew them . After spending 40 hours with the folks at FF7 , I knew their personalities . This game however , I feel like I knew none of the characters as the little plot that is revealed is separated by hours and hours of travel . The characters aren't even likable in an unlikable way . Balthier is the only character that manages to make an impression and have some layers . In almost every FF , it is easy to tell why the characters have banded together . They are invested someway in how the story progresses . This FF though doesn't really explain why any of these characters , except the lead Lady Ashe of course , wants to continue . Basch is completely flat ; Penolo is a bit of a whiny girl ; Fran is just Balthier's side kick . The battle system was not a favorite . In reality , you don't actually end up playing the game - you are just walking . Gambits can be programed to automatically take over every command , so your characters just hack away . Espers , magic , and Techniques used by FF to make a more tactful game are unbalanced and you won't use any of them . So in these huge landscapes and with these mass areas to travel , you will just be walking while your characters automatically hack and slash . There are rare occasions when you have to take over for your characters which is the most frustrating part in the game . For you experienced RPGers : ever been in a situation when you knew roughly the HP of each monster , so you did one spell that attacked them all and had each character attack a separate monster so they would all die very quickly ? There will be none of that in FF12 . All of the tactics are gone as you don't control anything , and when you try too , the system in place is very hard to work against . The ending saved this FF from being a total mishap . It was fast-paced , good battles , and the storyline came to it's peak and I was able to care for the characters , even if it was for the last 5 hours out of 60 . The game began well , too . It's just that 40 + hours of exploration in between where the story is lost . Don't be surprised if you trudge through which seems half the globe to only forget why you are going there . All in all , this game had a wonderful exploration element . This is the thing that kept making me want to pick up the controller and play . I didn't mind to spend that much time and being able to see an entire world of people , things , and environment . The problem is that it gets old . There is no substance ; you aren't controlling anything or being rewarded with enough story . It will become very monotonous , and I just rolled past the last part of the game to just end it .
• 272 4  I recently bought a Playstation 2 to play all the Final Fantasies I had been missing out on ( and the ones that didn't make it to PC port ) . Final Fantasy XII was just one of the many games I am playing through . I am an avid Final Fantasy fan and although somewhat jaded by the previous single player entry in the series : Final Fantasy X ( and its lackluster sequel , Final Fantasy X - 2 ) , I am happy to report that Final Fantasy XII is a true return to form with overall fun when playing through it . Ther are good points and bad points to the game , but let's start out with the good . The brand new Active Dimension Battle System is a revolutionary way of fighting off monsters in a Final Fantasy game . It is truly a free-roaming world where you can explore and fight in real time without transfering to a battle screen . The monsters freely roam the countryside and if able can and will join the battle to take you down if you get close enough . Blue / red lines of intent clearly show your targets you are attacking and the characters being targeted by enemies . Not once was I confused as to what was going on in a battle . To tag along with this battle system is the introduction of gambits . Its a collection of user-made actions that have fulfillment requirements for characters to act upon . For example , if your party leader is attacking a enemy target , you can set a gambit up to have other characters attack that same target , thus bringing an enemy down faster . If a character is weak in HP , you can set up a gambit that is higher in priority than the ' attack leader's target ' and set the action to Cure or Potion . So in essence , if anyone gets below a certain HP amount , the cure action gambit takes precendence over attacking . With literally over 150 + gambit conditions and over 100 + different actions to take in any given situation , you can alter the gambit set of actions any way you want . Effectively making your team fight autonomously while you simply guide them around the map from battle to battle . Although you can exploit the system , making the game a bit easier , it is fun and a true guilty pleasure . The graphics are great and its sheer awe on the amount of areas they crammed into this game for you to explore . Each area alone is made up of at least 6 - 7 huge size area maps , some taking minutes to walk from one end to the other . The game world is huge and sprawling and near the end , you literally have complete freedom to move about it as you choose . The difficulty is just right as well , you are never left feeling too overpowered or ultimately too weak . The enemies you encounter both in the main quest and sidequests ( as they open up ) , seem to be tailored to exactly your level and present a likewise challenge . Although getting some of the Esper summons early did seem to be a bit of a chore and almost dictated / forced the player to come back at a much later time to acquire them than they really needed to be . Buying equipment and items is also something that seems balanced . I never felt I had too much money , but I never really felt I was lacking it either . I did , however , feel that I had to be mindful and careful on what I spent my money on , and that's always a good design aesthetic in any game , forcing the player to use his own judgement on where to spend his hard-earned money ! Now for the weak sauce : The story and characters . If its one thing that this game fails epic at , its this . There is no in-depth , complex story filled with twists , turns or surprises . Its merely an invasion of one country into another to gain the upper hand against a much stronger country with the underlying intent to actually get access to some powerful stones called Nethicite which enables users to be like gods . It gets into other aspects like god-like creatures who have always watched over Ivalice , etc . But on the whole , the story plays out predictable and nothing really is unexpected . The story also interferes with the gameplay a bit too little . There are long stretches of time where there is no story involvement at all , and you could be traveling the countryside for hours and start wondering : What was I supposed to be doing next ? Not a good thing to ask in an RPG if the designers set up the story right . The characters also never got fleshed out or developed very well . Sure , they have their basic personality and it truly seems Balthier and / or Ashe might have more to their characters than meets the eye . But nothing is ever touched upon or given much depth . There is no grand story arc for the entire group and its basically a bunch of goal-oriented people traveling together for the same reason . There isn't even much interaction between the group except at key story points . You play the game for the characters , and they just simply are not there , only hinted at . The license system also ranks in as being a bit clunky . Its true that it really is a unique way of leveling up your character and his / her skills . But it really is set up awkwardly and is a offball way of preventing your characters from getting too powerful , too early . It works , nothing is saying that it doesn't , but its just odd to get some awesome weapon from a store , but no one can equip it because no one has it licensed yet nor has the points to do so . So you must sit on this awesome weapon until you kill enough enemies to get the license points to earn the right to use it . Its weird , it works , but its just something that could have been refined more . Overall , this is a solid , fun , entry in the Final Fantasy franchise , but there are a few bumps in the road in terms of story telling . The last great story to come along was Final Fantasy IX , which has fully developed , and fully likeable characters . Regardless , its not a purchase I regret making and it truly is a pleasure to roam the countryside and explore , get loot , kill enemies and see if I can track down the elusive hunts and rare game . Its more Dungeons and Dragons in that sense than it is any Final Fantasy game . Despite all that , its still a worthy addition and definitely worth a look .
• 273 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) SquareEnix ( formerly SquareSoft ) was often the leader in creating top of the line role-playing games . Not only were a majority of the games beautiful in their graphics , but the music and plot were superior to most other games in the genre . While Square still does well in the graphics department , all other aspects have dropped off considerably . The original talent that made so many of the early Final Fantasies left after FFX and formed there own company . ( There new company made Lost Odyssey for the Xbox360 ) The plot in FF12 is erratic to put it nicely . While the start of the game has a promising introduction , the plot takes a vacation about 5 hours into the game . For the remaining majority of the game you will be wandering around doing a lot of fighting and searching with very little plot advancement . While the plot does pick up again in the last 5 hours or so it is still very poorly developed . Perhaps the weakness in the plot would have been less noticeable if the character development had been better . To be honest , I never grew to care about the characters in the 60 + hours I slogged threw the game . FFX didn't have the best plot either but the character development was top notch . You definitely cared about Yuna and Tidus . I know many others have complained about the battle system but I didn't find it that bad . I liked how the gambits could speed the game up , yet you could turn them off if you wanted more control in the battle . The main complaint I have is the lack of different enemies . The game rewards you by dropping better loot if you kill the same type of enemy over and over . Since selling loot is the best way to get the hard to get gil in this game , you will be constantly killing the same enemies to get the chain reactions . I will admit , killing 50 wolves in a row is rather boring . FF games are usually known for the decent variety of side quests they offer . FF12 has a huge monster hunting side quest game . You can read posts on bulletin boards and then you find the petitioner who tells you the monster they need killed . This is a fairly decent diversion , unfortunately some of them are so difficult that you need a strategy guide to tell you how to find the mark . I did enjoy the past FF card games and even Blitzball in FF10 more so than this . One last thing before I break down individual scores for the game . Either get the Prima guide for this game or check out the FAQ sections on gamefaqs for help . In order to get the best weapon in the game you can't open certain treasure chests in the game . ( whoever came up with this idea should be banned from making games ) While FF12 is a decent game , it is far from perfect . In many ways I believe the series is heading in the wrong direction . Graphics : 10 / 10 For a Ps2 game they are top notch Sound : 7 / 10 Decent music but not as good as other FF games Story : 5 / 10 Starts well , but has huge pacing issues . Little character development Fun Factor 6 / 10 Battles are fun but repetitive . Didn't have same charm as past FF games . Replay Val 3 / 10 Perhaps if you didn't hunt many monsters the first time you played . Overall : 6 / 10 Not a bad game , but I find it hard to believe most pro critics gave it perfect or near perfect scores . I wonder if it didn't have Final Fantasy on the title if it would have received the same praise ? For those that love Role-playing games I say rent it to see if its your cup of tea . The ps2 has many games in this genre . To me , FF12 is somewhere in the middle of the pack .
• 274 4  SquareEnix ( formerly SquareSoft ) was often the leader in creating top of the line role-playing games . Not only were a majority of the games beautiful in their graphics , but the music and plot were superior to most other games in the genre . While Square still does well in the graphics department , all other aspects have dropped off considerably . The original talent that made so many of the early Final Fantasies left after FFX and formed there own company . ( There new company made Lost Odyssey for the Xbox360 ) The plot in FF12 is erratic to put it nicely . While the start of the game has a promising introduction , the plot takes a vacation about 5 hours into the game . For the remaining majority of the game you will be wandering around doing a lot of fighting and searching with very little plot advancement . While the plot does pick up again in the last 5 hours or so it is still very poorly developed . Perhaps the weakness in the plot would have been less noticeable if the character development had been better . To be honest , I never grew to care about the characters in the 60 + hours I slogged threw the game . FFX didn't have the best plot either but the character development was top notch . You definitely cared about Yuna and Tidus . I know many others have complained about the battle system but I didn't find it that bad . I liked how the gambits could speed the game up , yet you could turn them off if you wanted more control in the battle . The main complaint I have is the lack of different enemies . The game rewards you by dropping better loot if you kill the same type of enemy over and over . Since selling loot is the best way to get the hard to get gil in this game , you will be constantly killing the same enemies to get the chain reactions . I will admit , killing 50 wolves in a row is rather boring . FF games are usually known for the decent variety of side quests they offer . FF12 has a huge monster hunting side quest game . You can read posts on bulletin boards and then you find the petitioner who tells you the monster they need killed . This is a fairly decent diversion , unfortunately some of them are so difficult that you need a strategy guide to tell you how to find the mark . I did enjoy the past FF card games and even Blitzball in FF10 more so than this . One last thing before I break down individual scores for the game . Either get the Prima guide for this game or check out the FAQ sections on gamefaqs for help . In order to get the best weapon in the game you can't open certain treasure chests in the game . ( whoever came up with this idea should be banned from making games ) While FF12 is a decent game , it is far from perfect . In many ways I believe the series is heading in the wrong direction . Graphics : 10 / 10 For a Ps2 game they are top notch Sound : 7 / 10 Decent music but not as good as other FF games Story : 5 / 10 Starts well , but has huge pacing issues . Little character development Fun Factor 6 / 10 Battles are fun but repetitive . Didn't have same charm as past FF games . Replay Val 3 / 10 Perhaps if you didn't hunt many monsters the first time you played . Overall : 6 / 10 Not a bad game , but I find it hard to believe most pro critics gave it perfect or near perfect scores . I wonder if it didn't have Final Fantasy on the title if it would have received the same praise ? For those that love Role-playing games I say rent it to see if its your cup of tea . The ps2 has many games in this genre . To me , FF12 is somewhere in the middle of the pack .
• 275 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is an awesome game with a new way of fighting for a final fantasy game . Very enjoyable and great story .
• 276 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is an awesome game with a new way of fighting for a final fantasy game . Very enjoyable and great story .
• 278 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This Final Fantasy game is very good . Although a little different than the others it's still Final Fantasy all the way . The combat system is changed it's a little more free this time around . This was my first FF game so it was good to ease myself in with this one . It has a great story and good controls to back it up along with beautiful graphics . You can easily lose yourself in this game for hours so buy it an enjoy !
• 279 4  This Final Fantasy game is very good . Although a little different than the others it's still Final Fantasy all the way . The combat system is changed it's a little more free this time around . This was my first FF game so it was good to ease myself in with this one . It has a great story and good controls to back it up along with beautiful graphics . You can easily lose yourself in this game for hours so buy it an enjoy !
• 280 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Well , 20 hours into the game I loved it . 80 hours into the game I hated it , and 120 hours later after beating it I was somewhat pleased with it . To start things off I just wanted to say that the only other FF game I have played and beaten as well was Final Fantasy 8 that my Mother brought for me as a Christmas gift back when it first came out . I was never really into Final Fantasy games , but for some reason I felt like giving it a try . 10 years later I beat FF8 and moved on to play this game FF12 the latest ( at the time I write this because 13 is on the way ) installment to the series . This review will be not biased as clearly I'm not some diehard fan of the series I can honestly take it or leave it . That being said , here is my review of Final Fantasy 12 . I picked this game up not knowing what to expect at all . Mostly I play games like Tales Of the Symphonia , and The Persona games Altus makes . When it comes to FF I'm somewhat new to it still . The major thing that is impressive about this game is that it is graphically amazing . For PS2 this is honestly something that the design team had put much effort into . Never did I feel as if the game was biting off more than it could chew . Mostly the artwork , and designs fit right in with the capabilites of the PS2 . The gameplay I enjoyed . It was a mix between realtime , and turnbased fighting . A nice change from the zone fighting than occurs in other Turnbased RPG's . It was nice being able to run up to a monster and just fight it without all the screen changing . I thought the fighting system was a big improvement , however the system they used license baord to customize your character could have been left out entirely . The board does little to make your character unique other than locating the quickenings , and Espers aside from that all characters have the ability to use the same skills . By the end all your characters will have the same access to skills , so it truly serves no customizing purpose . Also , chosing weapons is somewhat MMORPGish . You level up , go to a town ( or dungeon in cases ) , get better gear . As your level increases so will your need for more powerful armor and accessories . However , it is very well possible to succeed this game without maxing out your armor , weapons , or spells . So armor / weapon grinding isn't but so so necessary . The story everyone's favorite part of a game ( or so to speak ) is really fragmented in FF12 . There are so many side quest in between the main objectives of the game that they dwarf the main story . Of my 120 + hours played atleast 80 hours were spent on side quest and leveling . Once your powerful enough the game is really not much of a challenge ( took me levels 45 - 53 to beat most espers and finish the game ) . The base of the story is focused on Princess Ashe and reclaiming the fallen Kingdom of Rabinastre ( spelling ? ) from the forces of an overbearing empire . Ironically you play more as a tag along character Vaan than as the true main character Ashe . You're actually playing out her story , but through Vaan's point of view . Along with some helpful company along the way . Fran ( who is amazing ) a calm and collective Viera who aids Balthier a sky pirate who is a gentleman , Basch the fallen Knight who reclaims his honor , and Penelo the tag along and long time friend of Vaan . There isn't too much interaction of character development between the group . Mostly what you gather form FM。's or cut scenes , and how you will have to determine what they're relationships are to eachother . FF12 is very weak in this department as a lot of the backgrounds for the characters is left out , and leaves you with many quesions . Even after finishing the game I'm still puzzled about the characters . For starters Fran and Balthiers relationship is never really explained . Why did Fran a Viera ( a race that looks down on humans ) choose to partner with a male SkyPirate ? How did they meet ? Just what is thier attraction ? Is it love , friendship , or something else ? Who is Panelo ? What is her story ? What are her goals ? What is motivating her to continue on the journey with Vaan ? As for Basch I always wanted to know why is he so sworn to protect the royalty of Dalmasca . What event in his life made him so focused on protecting others ? It's just these signifigant details that could make this game so much better developed . Another issue of Final Fantasy 12 is that it plays more like an MMORPG over a console RPG . I've said it before , but there is very little story to this game when compaired to the amount of sidequest thrown into it . The major focus if the game is not helping Ashe reclaim her throne , but hunting monsters and capturing espers . There are many many many monsters to hunt , and secret bosses to fight . Initially these battles are much harder than the storyline boss battles . I never broke as much of a sweat defeating the final bosses as I did fighting some of the more difficult espers . The story for me just leaves so much to be desired . They have created some wonderful and interesting characters , but so very little is explained about them . My final thoughts on Final Fantasy 12 is that it's a good game to play . Plenty of action and fighting which can either be fun or frustrating depending on which way the wind blows , but if you fall in love with a character ( like I did Fran ) it makes more your worth while to play .
• 281 4  Well , 20 hours into the game I loved it . 80 hours into the game I hated it , and 120 hours later after beating it I was somewhat pleased with it . To start things off I just wanted to say that the only other FF game I have played and beaten as well was Final Fantasy 8 that my Mother brought for me as a Christmas gift back when it first came out . I was never really into Final Fantasy games , but for some reason I felt like giving it a try . 10 years later I beat FF8 and moved on to play this game FF12 the latest ( at the time I write this because 13 is on the way ) installment to the series . This review will be not biased as clearly I'm not some diehard fan of the series I can honestly take it or leave it . That being said , here is my review of Final Fantasy 12 . I picked this game up not knowing what to expect at all . Mostly I play games like Tales Of the Symphonia , and The Persona games Altus makes . When it comes to FF I'm somewhat new to it still . The major thing that is impressive about this game is that it is graphically amazing . For PS2 this is honestly something that the design team had put much effort into . Never did I feel as if the game was biting off more than it could chew . Mostly the artwork , and designs fit right in with the capabilites of the PS2 . The gameplay I enjoyed . It was a mix between realtime , and turnbased fighting . A nice change from the zone fighting than occurs in other Turnbased RPG's . It was nice being able to run up to a monster and just fight it without all the screen changing . I thought the fighting system was a big improvement , however the system they used license baord to customize your character could have been left out entirely . The board does little to make your character unique other than locating the quickenings , and Espers aside from that all characters have the ability to use the same skills . By the end all your characters will have the same access to skills , so it truly serves no customizing purpose . Also , chosing weapons is somewhat MMORPGish . You level up , go to a town ( or dungeon in cases ) , get better gear . As your level increases so will your need for more powerful armor and accessories . However , it is very well possible to succeed this game without maxing out your armor , weapons , or spells . So armor / weapon grinding isn't but so so necessary . The story everyone's favorite part of a game ( or so to speak ) is really fragmented in FF12 . There are so many side quest in between the main objectives of the game that they dwarf the main story . Of my 120 + hours played atleast 80 hours were spent on side quest and leveling . Once your powerful enough the game is really not much of a challenge ( took me levels 45 - 53 to beat most espers and finish the game ) . The base of the story is focused on Princess Ashe and reclaiming the fallen Kingdom of Rabinastre ( spelling ? ) from the forces of an overbearing empire . Ironically you play more as a tag along character Vaan than as the true main character Ashe . You're actually playing out her story , but through Vaan's point of view . Along with some helpful company along the way . Fran ( who is amazing ) a calm and collective Viera who aids Balthier a sky pirate who is a gentleman , Basch the fallen Knight who reclaims his honor , and Penelo the tag along and long time friend of Vaan . There isn't too much interaction of character development between the group . Mostly what you gather form FM。's or cut scenes , and how you will have to determine what they're relationships are to eachother . FF12 is very weak in this department as a lot of the backgrounds for the characters is left out , and leaves you with many quesions . Even after finishing the game I'm still puzzled about the characters . For starters Fran and Balthiers relationship is never really explained . Why did Fran a Viera ( a race that looks down on humans ) choose to partner with a male SkyPirate ? How did they meet ? Just what is thier attraction ? Is it love , friendship , or something else ? Who is Panelo ? What is her story ? What are her goals ? What is motivating her to continue on the journey with Vaan ? As for Basch I always wanted to know why is he so sworn to protect the royalty of Dalmasca . What event in his life made him so focused on protecting others ? It's just these signifigant details that could make this game so much better developed . Another issue of Final Fantasy 12 is that it plays more like an MMORPG over a console RPG . I've said it before , but there is very little story to this game when compaired to the amount of sidequest thrown into it . The major focus if the game is not helping Ashe reclaim her throne , but hunting monsters and capturing espers . There are many many many monsters to hunt , and secret bosses to fight . Initially these battles are much harder than the storyline boss battles . I never broke as much of a sweat defeating the final bosses as I did fighting some of the more difficult espers . The story for me just leaves so much to be desired . They have created some wonderful and interesting characters , but so very little is explained about them . My final thoughts on Final Fantasy 12 is that it's a good game to play . Plenty of action and fighting which can either be fun or frustrating depending on which way the wind blows , but if you fall in love with a character ( like I did Fran ) it makes more your worth while to play .
• 282 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I know the new battle system is either love or hate but if you are willing to try something new then it will grow on you . The deletion of random battles is also a wonderful thing . The ability to have any of your party fulfill any role ( heals , damage , tanks ) is great . With tons of hidden gear and some extremely satisfying boss battles and hunts , it's a fun experience . The characters were original and very memorable . I loved the complete package , it's a mix of Tactics and Traditional RPG . For those of us who have been playing this series since its inception , its quite a refreshing take .
• 284 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I have played ff7 , ff8 , ff10 , ff10 - 2 and ff12 in completion first off . The game starts with great story and graphic and an interesting new game play . But you soon find there is no love story and after about half way no new developments in plot . It is like they made half a game and hoped people wouldn't realize they forgot to finish it . As bad as ff10 - 2 was this might be worse .
• 288 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I loved the graphics and the story line . It grabbed me from the time I started playing it . I would highly recomend this game to anyone !
• 290 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII is difficult to separate from the rest of the series - - indeed , like its predecessors , this is an amazing game . But even with its many innovations , it lacks some of the core characteristics the franchise is famous for . A mixed bag until the exciting final scenes , this game kept me entertained for over 120 hours , but I still felt a wave of relief when it was over . In many ways , this game runs hot and cold . The multitude of side quests increase the replay value , but many of them are out of reach without grinding . Even though the language is theatrical and sometimes difficult to follow without subtitles , the voice acting stands out as excellent ( most notably John DiMaggio's performance as the Ancient Man of Mystery ) . The musical score is occasionally recycled or used inappropriately , but sometimes brilliantly evokes a decisive battle or an old sci-fi movie . But the most divergent facets of the game , in terms of quality , are the story and the combat system . My favorite part of Square / Enix games has always been the story , so it was pleasantly surprising to find myself immersed in FFXII's battle system . Most of the new features ( automatic gambits , lack of random battles , ability to change characters and equipment during battle ) were welcome , even when they strayed from the traditional Final Fantasy presentation . In fact , my only complaint is that , while my characters started off specializing in one job , their stats and abilities were all similar by the end of the game . Especially enjoyable was the intellectual challenge of programming the gambits , though it was tough to conceptualize why you have to buy them ( or get licenses to use accessories , for that matter ) . Overall , the battle system makes for an engrossing gameplay experience , though some of its workings detract slightly from the realism of the characters and their environment . ( On the other hand , the designers had the foresight to introduce sellable loot like Snake Skin and Spiral Incisors , which prevents the nagging feeling that a wolf shouldn't be carrying gil . ) Visually , FFXII boasts awesome landscapes , detailed character design , and more subtle successes like the blue-dotted divisions between rooms . Remarkable graphics aside , I can't fully recommend this game to players looking for a connection with the story and characters . Playing this game is somewhat like browsing through a stranger's wedding photos : the product may be breathtaking , but it's hard to detect any real emotional relevance . The plot , though amazingly long and complicated , consists of a large cast of characters progressing toward an inevitable goal , with minimal growth and sacrifice along the way . These characters rarely act , only react to the expansive political storyline . On a smaller scale , Vaan and his companions have no obvious character flaws , personal goals , or imminent danger throughout the plot , making them difficult to love . What's more , this installment has almost none of the quirky humor the series is famous for . The main storyline is serious to a fault , with the only comedy coming from the occasional townsfolk witticism . In summary , Final Fantasy XII delivers a fun and innovative gaming experience , but without the personalization some fans desire . The player's connection to the game would be stronger with character quirks , alternate endings , or player choices along the way . Still , the atmosphere , replay value , and battle system ( especially the Hunts ) make this game well worth its price .
• 291 4  Final Fantasy XII is difficult to separate from the rest of the series - - indeed , like its predecessors , this is an amazing game . But even with its many innovations , it lacks some of the core characteristics the franchise is famous for . A mixed bag until the exciting final scenes , this game kept me entertained for over 120 hours , but I still felt a wave of relief when it was over . In many ways , this game runs hot and cold . The multitude of side quests increase the replay value , but many of them are out of reach without grinding . Even though the language is theatrical and sometimes difficult to follow without subtitles , the voice acting stands out as excellent ( most notably John DiMaggio's performance as the Ancient Man of Mystery ) . The musical score is occasionally recycled or used inappropriately , but sometimes brilliantly evokes a decisive battle or an old sci-fi movie . But the most divergent facets of the game , in terms of quality , are the story and the combat system . My favorite part of Square / Enix games has always been the story , so it was pleasantly surprising to find myself immersed in FFXII's battle system . Most of the new features ( automatic gambits , lack of random battles , ability to change characters and equipment during battle ) were welcome , even when they strayed from the traditional Final Fantasy presentation . In fact , my only complaint is that , while my characters started off specializing in one job , their stats and abilities were all similar by the end of the game . Especially enjoyable was the intellectual challenge of programming the gambits , though it was tough to conceptualize why you have to buy them ( or get licenses to use accessories , for that matter ) . Overall , the battle system makes for an engrossing gameplay experience , though some of its workings detract slightly from the realism of the characters and their environment . ( On the other hand , the designers had the foresight to introduce sellable loot like Snake Skin and Spiral Incisors , which prevents the nagging feeling that a wolf shouldn't be carrying gil . ) Visually , FFXII boasts awesome landscapes , detailed character design , and more subtle successes like the blue-dotted divisions between rooms . Remarkable graphics aside , I can't fully recommend this game to players looking for a connection with the story and characters . Playing this game is somewhat like browsing through a stranger's wedding photos : the product may be breathtaking , but it's hard to detect any real emotional relevance . The plot , though amazingly long and complicated , consists of a large cast of characters progressing toward an inevitable goal , with minimal growth and sacrifice along the way . These characters rarely act , only react to the expansive political storyline . On a smaller scale , Vaan and his companions have no obvious character flaws , personal goals , or imminent danger throughout the plot , making them difficult to love . What's more , this installment has almost none of the quirky humor the series is famous for . The main storyline is serious to a fault , with the only comedy coming from the occasional townsfolk witticism . In summary , Final Fantasy XII delivers a fun and innovative gaming experience , but without the personalization some fans desire . The player's connection to the game would be stronger with character quirks , alternate endings , or player choices along the way . Still , the atmosphere , replay value , and battle system ( especially the Hunts ) make this game well worth its price .
• 292 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) So fans of RPGs will definitely find FF12 a solid edition to the series , but there are some gripes that I have against this game : I'm a person who likes to finish a game 100% . I have beaten the WEAPONS in VII , conquered the arena in X , and gotten all of the ultimate equipment . However , in XII , there is no way to get the strongest items without using a guide ( anyone actually get the Zodiac Spear without a strategy guide ) , and even then , some of the items are still near-impossible ( Danjuro anyone ? What about Grand Armor ? ) , requiring HOURS of effort . Some of the side quests are equally frustrating , as some are pathetically easy ( attack and cure away ) , some are near-impossible unless you FAQ the strategy ( either hard to find , or have only a few strategies that actually work ) . The Gambit system and combat system are very innovative and exciting . It's actually a refreshing change to the random battle system ( like when looking for a specific enemy for loot ) . However , too often I found it too easy just to set attack gambits and one or two characters with healing triggers . Of course , I have full confidence that SquareEnix will balance his out by FF13 , but it's still a little annoying . Of course , the game does feature a massive cast of creatures and bosses , and some of them provide a very adequate challenge . However , among these , some of them have so much HP that the battle is more obnoxious than challenging ( a few of them coughYiazmatcough would have provided the same challenge with 1 / 10 HP ) . As a completionist , obviously my opinion is biased , but that doesn't stop the game from being a solid addition to the series . I still highly enjoyed most aspects of the game . For $20 , you really can't go wrong here .
• 293 4  So fans of RPGs will definitely find FF12 a solid edition to the series , but there are some gripes that I have against this game : I'm a person who likes to finish a game 100% . I have beaten the WEAPONS in VII , conquered the arena in X , and gotten all of the ultimate equipment . However , in XII , there is no way to get the strongest items without using a guide ( anyone actually get the Zodiac Spear without a strategy guide ) , and even then , some of the items are still near-impossible ( Danjuro anyone ? What about Grand Armor ? ) , requiring HOURS of effort . Some of the side quests are equally frustrating , as some are pathetically easy ( attack and cure away ) , some are near-impossible unless you FAQ the strategy ( either hard to find , or have only a few strategies that actually work ) . The Gambit system and combat system are very innovative and exciting . It's actually a refreshing change to the random battle system ( like when looking for a specific enemy for loot ) . However , too often I found it too easy just to set attack gambits and one or two characters with healing triggers . Of course , I have full confidence that SquareEnix will balance his out by FF13 , but it's still a little annoying . Of course , the game does feature a massive cast of creatures and bosses , and some of them provide a very adequate challenge . However , among these , some of them have so much HP that the battle is more obnoxious than challenging ( a few of them coughYiazmatcough would have provided the same challenge with 1 / 10 HP ) . As a completionist , obviously my opinion is biased , but that doesn't stop the game from being a solid addition to the series . I still highly enjoyed most aspects of the game . For $20 , you really can't go wrong here .
• 296 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This is simply my favorite game ever . It is so good , that I think that even when Final Fantasy XIII comes out ( and it looks AMAZING ) , I will still like XII the best . My favorite cast of characters from any work of fiction ( game , book , or movie ) is combined with the most dramatic storyline and the most breathtaking locations you will visit throughout the game . The characters are so likeable and developed so well that you will feel genuinely for them . If you love RPGs , you will get emotional at certain parts of the story . Add to this the new , improved battle system . It has the best battle system of any RPG ( people liked it so much , Square Enix is basing the battle system of XIII on it . YAY ! ) . The days of random encounters and turn-based combat is over . It is replaced by real-time combat where different actions and different weapons take different amounts of time to use . I loved Final Fantasy X ( it is my second-favorite game ) , but I didn't like it that you really couldn't customize your characters very much . In XII , you can equip characters any way you want to . You can choose from different types of armor that give you different kinds of bonuses , whether it be for speed , magic power , or simply great protection . There are many different kinds of weapon classes to choose from , too , like longswords , axes / hammers , bows , spears , greatswords , poles , rods , muzzleloading guns , crossbows , maces , katanas , and others . Each gives different bonuses and take different amounts of time to use . There are so many different things to do in this game , and you should try them all to really experience the world of Final Fantasy XII . There is , of course , the main story , but there is also dozens of mini-bosses that you are contracted to hunt down ( some of which are actually much tougher to beat than the last boss in the main story ) . There are also many different secret things to find . To truly complete everything ( or close to it ) , it will take you 200 + hours . This game also has a completely new system for the overdrives ( they are called Quickenings in this game ) , that I think is better than in any of the previous games . The music for all Final Fantasy games is beyond superb , but I think that XII's is even better . It is so good at conveying the emotions experienced by the characters throughout the game . There is also a summoning system ( of course ; it IS a Final Fantasy game ) . The summoning system in XII is not as good as it was in X , but then again , Final Fantasy X focused primarily on summoning . The summoning is still really fun in XII , I just didn't use it very often . PROs : Everything . It has the BEST characters , the BEST story , the BEST locations , the BEST music , and the BEST battle system of any RPG . CONs : Nothing . I just wish the game would never have ended . I could have played it for the rest of my life . I'm not the only one who loved this game . Many of the best-regarded video game magazines and shows in Japan have said that this is the best Final Fantasy yet ( and that is definitely saying something ! ) Famitsu , the most trusted and revered game magazine in Japan , gave it a perfect score , which has only been given to six games so far in all of video game history . It is also the first time that a Final Fantasy game got a perfect score from it ( Final Fantasy X came very , very close though ) . I have played this game all the way through 4 times now . I love this game so much that I bought a second PS2 ( still in the box , never opened ) and a second copy of the game ( this time the Collectors Edition , never opened ) , just so that in case my original PS2 and original copy of the game wear out , I will still be able to play this game many years from now . Also , this game is playable on most versions of the PS3 .
• 297 4  This is simply my favorite game ever . It is so good , that I think that even when Final Fantasy XIII comes out ( and it looks AMAZING ) , I will still like XII the best . My favorite cast of characters from any work of fiction ( game , book , or movie ) is combined with the most dramatic storyline and the most breathtaking locations you will visit throughout the game . The characters are so likeable and developed so well that you will feel genuinely for them . If you love RPGs , you will get emotional at certain parts of the story . Add to this the new , improved battle system . It has the best battle system of any RPG ( people liked it so much , Square Enix is basing the battle system of XIII on it . YAY ! ) . The days of random encounters and turn-based combat is over . It is replaced by real-time combat where different actions and different weapons take different amounts of time to use . I loved Final Fantasy X ( it is my second-favorite game ) , but I didn't like it that you really couldn't customize your characters very much . In XII , you can equip characters any way you want to . You can choose from different types of armor that give you different kinds of bonuses , whether it be for speed , magic power , or simply great protection . There are many different kinds of weapon classes to choose from , too , like longswords , axes / hammers , bows , spears , greatswords , poles , rods , muzzleloading guns , crossbows , maces , katanas , and others . Each gives different bonuses and take different amounts of time to use . There are so many different things to do in this game , and you should try them all to really experience the world of Final Fantasy XII . There is , of course , the main story , but there is also dozens of mini-bosses that you are contracted to hunt down ( some of which are actually much tougher to beat than the last boss in the main story ) . There are also many different secret things to find . To truly complete everything ( or close to it ) , it will take you 200 + hours . This game also has a completely new system for the overdrives ( they are called Quickenings in this game ) , that I think is better than in any of the previous games . The music for all Final Fantasy games is beyond superb , but I think that XII's is even better . It is so good at conveying the emotions experienced by the characters throughout the game . There is also a summoning system ( of course ; it IS a Final Fantasy game ) . The summoning system in XII is not as good as it was in X , but then again , Final Fantasy X focused primarily on summoning . The summoning is still really fun in XII , I just didn't use it very often . PROs : Everything . It has the BEST characters , the BEST story , the BEST locations , the BEST music , and the BEST battle system of any RPG . CONs : Nothing . I just wish the game would never have ended . I could have played it for the rest of my life . I'm not the only one who loved this game . Many of the best-regarded video game magazines and shows in Japan have said that this is the best Final Fantasy yet ( and that is definitely saying something ! ) Famitsu , the most trusted and revered game magazine in Japan , gave it a perfect score , which has only been given to six games so far in all of video game history . It is also the first time that a Final Fantasy game got a perfect score from it ( Final Fantasy X came very , very close though ) . I have played this game all the way through 4 times now . I love this game so much that I bought a second PS2 ( still in the box , never opened ) and a second copy of the game ( this time the Collectors Edition , never opened ) , just so that in case my original PS2 and original copy of the game wear out , I will still be able to play this game many years from now . Also , this game is playable on most versions of the PS3 .
• 298 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Final Fantasy XII takes a much different spin than the previous games in the series . It was , in all , a very pleasant experience . The new Gambit system allows for a more real-time turn-based combat that requires more strategy than previously before . All characters are able to utilize any weapon they see fight with the License system . This system also affects the character's stats as well as spells they may utilize . This , however , leaves leveling with only the point of raising Hit Points . The storyline is well devised , as apparent in the series , and the voice actors are terrific . The game starts off strong with a war between the Empire and the kingdom of Dalmasca . Control is granted to a minor character , who happens to be the brother of the game's protagonist . Each character has their own unique background and are all potentially useful in a combat sense . One downside to the game was the incredible level curve . There were many times while playing that I was forced to use hit-and-run tactics and many times that I was decimated . The lack of real importance in leveling made it difficult to gain an upper hand . There is a bigger focus on money , because I scarcely had it throughout the game and required it for purchasing weapons that could actually put a dent into bosses . All in all , it was a rather good buy . Pros : + Storyline + Voice cast + Money system + Battle system Cons : - License and level system - Slightly repetitive
• 299 4  Final Fantasy XII takes a much different spin than the previous games in the series . It was , in all , a very pleasant experience . The new Gambit system allows for a more real-time turn-based combat that requires more strategy than previously before . All characters are able to utilize any weapon they see fight with the License system . This system also affects the character's stats as well as spells they may utilize . This , however , leaves leveling with only the point of raising Hit Points . The storyline is well devised , as apparent in the series , and the voice actors are terrific . The game starts off strong with a war between the Empire and the kingdom of Dalmasca . Control is granted to a minor character , who happens to be the brother of the game's protagonist . Each character has their own unique background and are all potentially useful in a combat sense . One downside to the game was the incredible level curve . There were many times while playing that I was forced to use hit-and-run tactics and many times that I was decimated . The lack of real importance in leveling made it difficult to gain an upper hand . There is a bigger focus on money , because I scarcely had it throughout the game and required it for purchasing weapons that could actually put a dent into bosses . All in all , it was a rather good buy . Pros : + Storyline + Voice cast + Money system + Battle system Cons : - License and level system - Slightly repetitive
• 300 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) There's a lot of FFXII haters out there , but why ? Many people like to say the game had a boring story , and that the battle system was stupid . I believe some people are too nieve and stupid too understand the complexity and deepness of the story in this game . And the battle system is original , and very good . What is so bad about the battle system ! ? It is the same exact thing as being turn based , EXACTLY the same . The only real difference is you can move while waiting for your turn . So please incompetant fools stop whining about this game's battle system and get over FFX . The game is great , the music is good in this game , but nothing that stands out . The world in this game is enormous , something that FFX was missing . And the graphics in this game were great . It's basically another masterpiece and original game made by square that ANY rpg fan should own .
• 301 4  There's a lot of FFXII haters out there , but why ? Many people like to say the game had a boring story , and that the battle system was stupid . I believe some people are too nieve and stupid too understand the complexity and deepness of the story in this game . And the battle system is original , and very good . What is so bad about the battle system ! ? It is the same exact thing as being turn based , EXACTLY the same . The only real difference is you can move while waiting for your turn . So please incompetant fools stop whining about this game's battle system and get over FFX . The game is great , the music is good in this game , but nothing that stands out . The world in this game is enormous , something that FFX was missing . And the graphics in this game were great . It's basically another masterpiece and original game made by square that ANY rpg fan should own .
• 302 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game was awesome I hate how people judge it because they changed it up they did it so its not the same game over and over and over like other ff games , but I'm not saying ff games suck cause I love them all but not ff7 and ff8 because you know what I don't really like those two very much . Anyways ff12 is really amazing graphics were the best out there at the time it came out , I did get this game the day it came out , but I was reading reviews and they pissed me off because this game is amazing just go out and buy it
• 307 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) FFXII is beautiful . From when you insert the disc to exploring worlds within , the music and visuals are very well done . The action and story sequence also keep you moving . And if that is all you are looking for , then this will be a sufficient game . However , there are some points to consider , particularly for the Final Fantasy connossieur : ( 1 ) STORY & CHARACTERS : FF fans love the story and characters ( particularly the many who came on board FF because of FFVII's Cloud , Sephiroth and Aeris . Although FFXII's characters are very well designed a la Vagrant Story wardrobe , there isn't much history behind each character . There is just enough to explain the character's role , but no real emotional content . Worse yet , the roles are not well-defined . . . they are there but who is the leader and who are the supporters and in what context . . . well , that is not developed at all . We just get a bunch of Medieval models to fight with . And there is nothing special about each character since they can wear the same armor , spot the same weapons , use the same techniques . . . And the story is simple and juvenile . Sorry , no m * ndf * * k experience . ( 2 ) BATTLE SYSTEM : I actually enjoyed the real-time fighting style . I guess they wanted FF fans to experience online fighting style . Seeing that FFXI didn't really take off , SquareSoft decided to educated FF fans by using FFXII . And it was fun . But this kind of fighting style is mostly good for melee attacks . Magic and Summons take a back seat , much to the dismay of many FF fans who do love the cinematic FMVs that accompany legendary summons . So if only they make magic and summons more involving while retaining real-time fighting , that would be good . ( 3 ) SIDEQUESTS : This is a big world ( bigger than it looks on the world map ) . It reminds us of FFIX , which also had plenty of sidequests to decipher . FFXII also has a whole lot of sidequests . Many of them are just simple , juvenile games or tasks . The largest sidequest is the mob hunt . Monsters are posted on the Wanted board , and you get to hunt challenging monsters . There is little story behind each hunt , and it is purely for the love of action / strategy and collecting all hunts . So in short : extremely beautiful and action-filled , but little story / character development for deeper emotional appreciation .
• 308 4  FFXII is beautiful . From when you insert the disc to exploring worlds within , the music and visuals are very well done . The action and story sequence also keep you moving . And if that is all you are looking for , then this will be a sufficient game . However , there are some points to consider , particularly for the Final Fantasy connossieur : ( 1 ) STORY & CHARACTERS : FF fans love the story and characters ( particularly the many who came on board FF because of FFVII's Cloud , Sephiroth and Aeris . Although FFXII's characters are very well designed a la Vagrant Story wardrobe , there isn't much history behind each character . There is just enough to explain the character's role , but no real emotional content . Worse yet , the roles are not well-defined . . . they are there but who is the leader and who are the supporters and in what context . . . well , that is not developed at all . We just get a bunch of Medieval models to fight with . And there is nothing special about each character since they can wear the same armor , spot the same weapons , use the same techniques . . . And the story is simple and juvenile . Sorry , no m * ndf * * k experience . ( 2 ) BATTLE SYSTEM : I actually enjoyed the real-time fighting style . I guess they wanted FF fans to experience online fighting style . Seeing that FFXI didn't really take off , SquareSoft decided to educated FF fans by using FFXII . And it was fun . But this kind of fighting style is mostly good for melee attacks . Magic and Summons take a back seat , much to the dismay of many FF fans who do love the cinematic FMVs that accompany legendary summons . So if only they make magic and summons more involving while retaining real-time fighting , that would be good . ( 3 ) SIDEQUESTS : This is a big world ( bigger than it looks on the world map ) . It reminds us of FFIX , which also had plenty of sidequests to decipher . FFXII also has a whole lot of sidequests . Many of them are just simple , juvenile games or tasks . The largest sidequest is the mob hunt . Monsters are posted on the Wanted board , and you get to hunt challenging monsters . There is little story behind each hunt , and it is purely for the love of action / strategy and collecting all hunts . So in short : extremely beautiful and action-filled , but little story / character development for deeper emotional appreciation .


• Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I'll use the old cliche : RPG's have been hand in hand with Final Fantasy . In fact , there's even best-of lists devoted to non-Final Fantasy games . As such , it's hard to believe we haven't had a proper entry in the series since 2001 with Final Fantasy X . Yeah we had the online XI but really , who actually can afford all those fees and everything just to play the game ? The twelth game in the series had a frustratingly long gestation period with numerous delays , people walking out as well as doubts about whether the game would actually be good . Must be tough for those who doubted the game . I don't know whether people will regard this as one of the series best but as it stands , this is probably the best RPG available right now . Story : Taking place in the world of Ivalice , the Archadian Empire has taken over the kingdom of Dalmasca , placing it under their rule . The story centers around a group of people who are caught up in political intrigue and mystery as well as the protection of Princess Ashe , the heir to the throne . As for this story , you might not respond in the way you did to Cloud and Aeris or Locke and Celes but the characters are endearing and the plot is definately the maturest they've done since VIII but what hurts the story is development . You can tell the emphasis was on the story as opposed to the characters so while they all go on this mission , there's really no personal interest in each other as a group . I will say though that I quite like Ashe's character and Balthier is the kind of sly cool guy we all wish we could be . Graphics : When X came out , the graphics quite frankly stunned me . They still do . Here , they stun but the novelty as worn off since they're not new but boy do they impress . The demo and intro movie are just gorgeous and the in-game cinematics are handled well . This is also probably one of the most fully-realized worlds I've seen . Everything here looks like it has a story to tell or a history and it's very easy to get immersed in . My one knock is that on my widescreen TV , there's actually space that's not used since it's for subtitles and the like and let's face it , with a story like this , you kinda need subtitles . Sound / Music : Done now by Hitoshi Sakimoto of Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story , I find his music well composed and arranged and he's great at using an orchestra but his problem is melodies , or shall we say , lack of them . Revisiting the soundtrack independent of the game made me appreciate some tracks more ( the Esper Battle theme is power by definition really ) but some tracks go through a few changes that while fine in the game , they're so overwritten it hurts the replayability . As for the voice acting , it's hit and miss . Sure characters like Basch and Balthier and especially Ashe work though she sounds slightly older , but then we have whiny Vaan ( show you bad it is , Tidus to me outdoes this guy ) and Fran has the most peculiar accent . Ultimately though their voices don't take you out of the game , they're just not as well cast in certain roles . Gameplay : The straw that might break the camel's back for some people . It used to be that you'd roam the field and whoosh ! be met with battle music and the fight than a separate screen for your spoils such as EXP and Gil . Not here . The enemies appear on the field and you just walk right up to them and fight them right there . It's still ATB based so if you pick a command , a bar fills and once it fills , that command is issued . Exp and LP ( license points ) pop up above your enemy so you don't go to a separate screen . Only problem with this is that sometimes enemies overwhelm you and the EXP jumps rather considerably as you level up . In the first few enemy-infested levels you traverse , your requirements for levelling up can easily jump 300 exp and when each individual enemy has maybe 10 or so , that's a lot of fighting , and your Cure and whatnot don't come fast enough . The camera can cause problems , especially in dungeons where you went left instead of turning right . Like every single game since probably V , the game introduces a gameplay system on how to level and manage your characters . From the Materia system to Junctioning to the Sphere Grid , every game has had a different approach and it's the same thing here . The License board is essentially a re-worked Sphere Grid . Beating enemies in battle nets you License points which can be used to buy licenses , such as the ability to equip certain equipment or spells or enhancements such as increased potency of potions and spells or simply raising your strength and increasing your HP . However , just because you bought that license doesn't mean you can use it . Certain things like spells and skills have to be bought as well so buying the Cure license doesn't mean you can cast it , you have to buy it first . To be honest , this works better than X's system because unlike that system where you had to level up your health , strength , defense etc , individually , your traditional levelling up does it for you while the licenses are merely bonuses . However , there's no thieves / white mages-type thing here so you can actually make characters all equip bows if you wanted which takes away a bit of their uniqueness . The other addition is the Gambit system . Basically these are if commands which state that if a certain condition is there , an action is performed by your character . For example : if a character falls below a certain health percentage , your character or an ally will automatically perform Cure . If there's a fire-based enemy , you can have your ally automatically cast Blizzard . You can also set order preference so curing and health management take priority over attacking for example . Some say that it later makes the battles easier but personally it makes it funner and considering that they're all controllable , it's fun to not have to worry about them . Money has been changed as well . Enemies no longer carry vast amounts of Gil in their pocket , but instead they carry treasures . They can carry furs , stones and such and then those are sold in the market . Also you can take on various bounties where you hunt down a creature . It works in theory as well as just simple common sense ( how is it that a bat carries Gil and what for anyway ? ) , you don't get as much money as you should , especially considering you have to buy spells as well as techniques , weaponry , protective garments as well as supplies . As for the difficulty ? It can get quite hairy . One early boss encounter pitted me up against at least 6 enemies , 2 of which were the main enemies and boy did they pack a wallop , finished me in 2 minutes flat . Party management and levelling are a must if you're to survive . I don't think there even is a Final Fantasy that's absolutely perfect but it's probably still going to be one of the more impressive RPG's you've played and XII is no different .
• 014 4  Final Fantasy is sometimes thought of as a kiddy game with chocobos and moogles . Final Fantasy XII proves that this series can present an awesome storyline and graphics that all ages will adore . Don't worry if you haven't played all of the other Final Fantasy games . You don't need to . There are subtle carry-overs , but this game is meant to stand alone . You are a young orphan in a city recovering after a war . The cruel Empire has taken over your home town , and you enjoy causing trouble for the soldiers . Soon , of course , you're swept up in an epic rebellion . The storyline here is just * amazing * . Not just the plot itself , but the voice acting , the dialogue , the graphics , they are top notch . This is really like being a part of an extremely well done drama movie . They delve into issues of honor , loyalty , love , betrayal , and more . I'm an adult gamer , and I was staying up many long nights because I wanted to see where the story was going . Some of the subtle interactions between characters in cut scenes are just amazing . The small nods , the looks in their eyes , you are hard pressed to remember that they are animated in a computer game . Gameplay itself revolves around a party of characters going on quests , fighting in battles and moving through the large world . Each character gains experience and skills as they go . You buy them new weapons and armor , train them in spells , and aim them in their career growth however you wish . There is a dual system in play here . First , you need to physically own the weapon or item you wish to use - say an iron sword . But then you need to KNOW how to use it too ! You can't just hand an iron sword to a 10 year old piano player and expect her to know how to use it . That skill is called a license . You have an online license chart that lets you manage what each character knows . Licenses relate to each other . If your character learns the basics of sword work , now they can learn a more advanced version . It is very intuitive and adds a fun element to the game . It's not just one straight line that you choose and are stuck with . It's an all-directions layout where you can try new skills or expand out as you learn the system better . I really like combat in this Final Fantasy as well . Instead of random battles where enemies appear out of nowhere to assault you , all enemies are on the map with you . If you're running along a path in the desert and see something really scary in the distance , you run away from it ! You don't have to worry about enemies springing up out of nowhere to slam you into the ground . The enemies in general are challenging but not impossible . There are spots where you really have to think about the enemy and what its weakness is to defeat it . You can't just brute force bash away at everything and hope to succeed . Still , as great as the gameplay is , and as gorgeous as the visuals and music and voice acting are , I really have to come back to the plot and characters as standing out here . There's been a lot of talk in the gaming world about a game that finally goes from little pixels on the screen that you move from X to Y to the point of * caring * about these characters , about what they are going through , and feeling emotional about their highs and lows . I really think Final Fantasy XII has hit that level . Yes , there are one or two twerpy characters that can be annoying . Even Star Wars had Luke whining about the Takashi Station at the beginning , to set his basis for growth . In general , though , every single character here seems real , seems complex , and you don't want to put the game down . Highly , highly recommended .
• 017 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Anyone who followed news of Final Fantasy XII , the final installment of the legendary RPG series on the Playstation 2 , should know what a troubled history it had . Several years of delays and several key members of the development team leaving before the project's completion definitely shows on the final product . With its balance issues and muddled , poorly done storyline , I can't help but feel that Square-Enix , sensing the final days of the Playstation 2 approaching , just shoved this one out the door and hoped for the best . A departure for the series , Final Fantasy XII uses a quasi-real time battle system similar to what you'd find in an online RPG . Character AIs are controlled by the gambit system , battle routines that you program for each character before hitting the field . Of course , you can still input commands manually , but the gambit system really does make things flow more seemlessly . While the semi-real time combat does speed things up quite a bit by eliminating random battles , it sacrafices most controll and strategy usually required to play these types of games . The gambit system works a little too well , as all you really need is a few properly enabled healing and attack commands enabled and all the game requires of you is to steer the characters around the map . In fact I always turned the AI script off for my party leader just so I could press a button every once in a while . Even boss battles don't require much more strategy than melee attacking and healing every once in a while . The game goes even further in destroying the need for strategy by introducing quickenings . These are super powerful , magic draining attacks that you can chain together for massive damage in you have quick enough fingers . Just wear a boss down to half of its life bar and unleash one of these babies to finish him off . If that doesn't work , switch in your reserve fighters to finish him off . The game has also done away with automatically earning money for every enemy defeated . Instead you have to rely on loot , the items monsters drop at random . You must buy everything from armaments to magic to new gambits and its all very expensive . Imagine how hard it would be too buy that several thousand coin spear if only every fourth monster gave you something to pawn off . Compound that with even late in the game , about 3 / 4th of the loot dropped pays only a pittance when you sell it . I never had to intentionally build my levels because I was always severely overly powerful from just earning money to buy equipment . Then there is the utterly frustrating treasure system . In Final Fantasy XII there is no set treasure item in each box . The strategy guide tells me that there is a box that might contain a super duper weapon . Unfortunately , you only have a one in three chance of getting that . You have a better chance of ending up with a potion or 13 coins . And that is if the chest even appears at all , because as I trekked through the fields , I found that more often the not the chests containing the better items were suspiciously absent . Character skills are assigned through the licensing board . Not only must you purchase every piece of gear , magic spell , and fighting technique , but you must also buy a license to equip / use it with points earned from fighting monsters . You'd think this would lead to very open ended skill development , but it doesn't . Like the weapons , certain magic and techniques are only available after certain points in the game and there is nothing more frustrating than purchasing a license for a nifty looking ability and finding out you won't have access to it unless you go an insane sidequest to defeat some giant rock turtle with two million life points . As for the weapons section of the board , it can be ridiculously unorganized . Some weapons like bows , swords , and spears are neatly grouped together , but others like guns , and ninja swords seem to have been placed all around the board at random . I'm sorry but it seems for just about every step forward they took , they took three leaps back . Let's talk about the story , what really makes this a turkey . I'm not going to talk about anything specific after the first five or so hours . After the intense and well-directed opening cinematic , I thought this really would be the masterpiece the hype machine promised it would be . It had everything you'd think an epic should have : large scale battles , death , war , betrayal . The Kingdom of Dalamsca was soundly thrashed in a war against the Archadian Empire . The king surrenders to avoid total annexation by the Empire , but before he can sign the treaty , he is assassinated by Basch , his loyal knight . Several years later , Princess Ashe teams up with a ragtag band of rebels to win the kingdom's freedom back . No one in their right mind should call this well written when one of its few major plot twists is that the assassin was really , that most ridiculous of soap opera clichés , Basch's evil twin brother ! That is when the story falls down and only struggles back to its feet after another twenty hours . And I absolutely dare anyone to tell me that the first third of this was not totally patterned after the first two Stars Wars movies , the ones from the good trilogy . At about the start of the last 1 / 3rd it falls down again and never gets back up , as all the carefully drawn political maneuverings are thrown out the window for an increasingly ridiculous and more stereotypical quest for magic rocks . The characters are almost 100% static and I don't think the developers ever really had a clear picture of who they were as , especially towards the end of the game , their personalities seem to change inexplicably from one scene to the next . In the end , Final Fantasy XII didn't demand much out of me and I didn't give much effort in return . I just sort of sleepwalked through it . It was far from addictive , and I , who usually want to complete every sidequest , ended up only doing the bare minimum . When it was over , I was just left feeling cold . I've played worse games , but this is the worst entry into the series in a long , long time .
• 018 4  Anyone who followed news of Final Fantasy XII , the final installment of the legendary RPG series on the Playstation 2 , should know what a troubled history it had . Several years of delays and several key members of the development team leaving before the project's completion definitely shows on the final product . With its balance issues and muddled , poorly done storyline , I can't help but feel that Square-Enix , sensing the final days of the Playstation 2 approaching , just shoved this one out the door and hoped for the best . A departure for the series , Final Fantasy XII uses a quasi-real time battle system similar to what you'd find in an online RPG . Character AIs are controlled by the gambit system , battle routines that you program for each character before hitting the field . Of course , you can still input commands manually , but the gambit system really does make things flow more seemlessly . While the semi-real time combat does speed things up quite a bit by eliminating random battles , it sacrafices most controll and strategy usually required to play these types of games . The gambit system works a little too well , as all you really need is a few properly enabled healing and attack commands enabled and all the game requires of you is to steer the characters around the map . In fact I always turned the AI script off for my party leader just so I could press a button every once in a while . Even boss battles don't require much more strategy than melee attacking and healing every once in a while . The game goes even further in destroying the need for strategy by introducing quickenings . These are super powerful , magic draining attacks that you can chain together for massive damage in you have quick enough fingers . Just wear a boss down to half of its life bar and unleash one of these babies to finish him off . If that doesn't work , switch in your reserve fighters to finish him off . The game has also done away with automatically earning money for every enemy defeated . Instead you have to rely on loot , the items monsters drop at random . You must buy everything from armaments to magic to new gambits and its all very expensive . Imagine how hard it would be too buy that several thousand coin spear if only every fourth monster gave you something to pawn off . Compound that with even late in the game , about 3 / 4th of the loot dropped pays only a pittance when you sell it . I never had to intentionally build my levels because I was always severely overly powerful from just earning money to buy equipment . Then there is the utterly frustrating treasure system . In Final Fantasy XII there is no set treasure item in each box . The strategy guide tells me that there is a box that might contain a super duper weapon . Unfortunately , you only have a one in three chance of getting that . You have a better chance of ending up with a potion or 13 coins . And that is if the chest even appears at all , because as I trekked through the fields , I found that more often the not the chests containing the better items were suspiciously absent . Character skills are assigned through the licensing board . Not only must you purchase every piece of gear , magic spell , and fighting technique , but you must also buy a license to equip / use it with points earned from fighting monsters . You'd think this would lead to very open ended skill development , but it doesn't . Like the weapons , certain magic and techniques are only available after certain points in the game and there is nothing more frustrating than purchasing a license for a nifty looking ability and finding out you won't have access to it unless you go an insane sidequest to defeat some giant rock turtle with two million life points . As for the weapons section of the board , it can be ridiculously unorganized . Some weapons like bows , swords , and spears are neatly grouped together , but others like guns , and ninja swords seem to have been placed all around the board at random . I'm sorry but it seems for just about every step forward they took , they took three leaps back . Let's talk about the story , what really makes this a turkey . I'm not going to talk about anything specific after the first five or so hours . After the intense and well-directed opening cinematic , I thought this really would be the masterpiece the hype machine promised it would be . It had everything you'd think an epic should have : large scale battles , death , war , betrayal . The Kingdom of Dalamsca was soundly thrashed in a war against the Archadian Empire . The king surrenders to avoid total annexation by the Empire , but before he can sign the treaty , he is assassinated by Basch , his loyal knight . Several years later , Princess Ashe teams up with a ragtag band of rebels to win the kingdom's freedom back . No one in their right mind should call this well written when one of its few major plot twists is that the assassin was really , that most ridiculous of soap opera clichés , Basch's evil twin brother ! That is when the story falls down and only struggles back to its feet after another twenty hours . And I absolutely dare anyone to tell me that the first third of this was not totally patterned after the first two Stars Wars movies , the ones from the good trilogy . At about the start of the last 1 / 3rd it falls down again and never gets back up , as all the carefully drawn political maneuverings are thrown out the window for an increasingly ridiculous and more stereotypical quest for magic rocks . The characters are almost 100% static and I don't think the developers ever really had a clear picture of who they were as , especially towards the end of the game , their personalities seem to change inexplicably from one scene to the next . In the end , Final Fantasy XII didn't demand much out of me and I didn't give much effort in return . I just sort of sleepwalked through it . It was far from addictive , and I , who usually want to complete every sidequest , ended up only doing the bare minimum . When it was over , I was just left feeling cold . I've played worse games , but this is the worst entry into the series in a long , long time .
• 025 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) For those that may critize what i am saying yes i have played a majority of the final fantasy games starting with at least final fantasy vII . this game was quite a waste of time for real and i really hope that the newest game coming out on ps3 is much better . first off this game lack serious relationship play . there is no way your gonna go out and save the world and risk your life with a whole bunch of folks and people you posiitively don't really speak to or no . there really wasn't any type of evaluation of each person's skills and they all seem edgy and jumpy with one another with only two characters really trusting one another and that was the two thieves in the beginning of the game . the graphics were great but the gameplay was horrible . you go on these everlasting quests and playing this game seemed more like being at work then getting away from your job . every town you came to there was another crisis . there was never any fun and the rewards you got after sweating was minimal . you had random people pop up in your journey and you never really knew who they were or the revelance of them being in the game for that matter . and even if sqauresoft decided , hey we aren't going to make this a love story like every other final fantasy , they could have at least built stronger relationships . i remember at the end when the pirate ( can't remember his name now ) told vaan about learning how to fly the ship in case he died , it was like the driest moment of the game because it had no emotion behind it . it was like . . . uhhh . . . okay . so needless to say even final fantasy x - 2 held my attention way better than this one
• 026 4  For those that may critize what i am saying yes i have played a majority of the final fantasy games starting with at least final fantasy vII . this game was quite a waste of time for real and i really hope that the newest game coming out on ps3 is much better . first off this game lack serious relationship play . there is no way your gonna go out and save the world and risk your life with a whole bunch of folks and people you posiitively don't really speak to or no . there really wasn't any type of evaluation of each person's skills and they all seem edgy and jumpy with one another with only two characters really trusting one another and that was the two thieves in the beginning of the game . the graphics were great but the gameplay was horrible . you go on these everlasting quests and playing this game seemed more like being at work then getting away from your job . every town you came to there was another crisis . there was never any fun and the rewards you got after sweating was minimal . you had random people pop up in your journey and you never really knew who they were or the revelance of them being in the game for that matter . and even if sqauresoft decided , hey we aren't going to make this a love story like every other final fantasy , they could have at least built stronger relationships . i remember at the end when the pirate ( can't remember his name now ) told vaan about learning how to fly the ship in case he died , it was like the driest moment of the game because it had no emotion behind it . it was like . . . uhhh . . . okay . so needless to say even final fantasy x - 2 held my attention way better than this one
• 029 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I'll use the old cliche : RPG's have been hand in hand with Final Fantasy . In fact , there's even best-of lists devoted to non-Final Fantasy games . As such , it's hard to believe we haven't had a proper entry in the series since 2001 with Final Fantasy X . Yeah we had the online XI but really , who actually can afford all those fees and everything just to play the game ? The twelth game in the series had a frustratingly long gestation period with numerous delays , people walking out as well as doubts about whether the game would actually be good . Must be tough for those who doubted the game . I don't know whether people will regard this as one of the series best but as it stands , this is probably the best RPG available right now . Story : Taking place in the world of Ivalice , the Archadian Empire has taken over the kingdom of Dalmasca , placing it under their rule . The story centers around a group of people who are caught up in political intrigue and mystery as well as the protection of Princess Ashe , the heir to the throne . As for this story , you might not respond in the way you did to Cloud and Aeris or Locke and Celes but the characters are endearing and the plot is definately the maturest they've done since VIII but what hurts the story is development . You can tell the emphasis was on the story as opposed to the characters so while they all go on this mission , there's really no personal interest in each other as a group . I will say though that I quite like Ashe's character and Balthier is the kind of sly cool guy we all wish we could be . Graphics : When X came out , the graphics quite frankly stunned me . They still do . Here , they stun but the novelty as worn off since they're not new but boy do they impress . The demo and intro movie are just gorgeous and the in-game cinematics are handled well . This is also probably one of the most fully-realized worlds I've seen . Everything here looks like it has a story to tell or a history and it's very easy to get immersed in . My one knock is that on my widescreen TV , there's actually space that's not used since it's for subtitles and the like and let's face it , with a story like this , you kinda need subtitles . Sound / Music : Done now by Hitoshi Sakimoto of Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story , I find his music well composed and arranged and he's great at using an orchestra but his problem is melodies , or shall we say , lack of them . Revisiting the soundtrack independent of the game made me appreciate some tracks more ( the Esper Battle theme is power by definition really ) but some tracks go through a few changes that while fine in the game , they're so overwritten it hurts the replayability . As for the voice acting , it's hit and miss . Sure characters like Basch and Balthier and especially Ashe work though she sounds slightly older , but then we have whiny Vaan ( show you bad it is , Tidus to me outdoes this guy ) and Fran has the most peculiar accent . Ultimately though their voices don't take you out of the game , they're just not as well cast in certain roles . Gameplay : The straw that might break the camel's back for some people . It used to be that you'd roam the field and whoosh ! be met with battle music and the fight than a separate screen for your spoils such as EXP and Gil . Not here . The enemies appear on the field and you just walk right up to them and fight them right there . It's still ATB based so if you pick a command , a bar fills and once it fills , that command is issued . Exp and LP ( license points ) pop up above your enemy so you don't go to a separate screen . Only problem with this is that sometimes enemies overwhelm you and the EXP jumps rather considerably as you level up . In the first few enemy-infested levels you traverse , your requirements for levelling up can easily jump 300 exp and when each individual enemy has maybe 10 or so , that's a lot of fighting , and your Cure and whatnot don't come fast enough . The camera can cause problems , especially in dungeons where you went left instead of turning right . Like every single game since probably V , the game introduces a gameplay system on how to level and manage your characters . From the Materia system to Junctioning to the Sphere Grid , every game has had a different approach and it's the same thing here . The License board is essentially a re-worked Sphere Grid . Beating enemies in battle nets you License points which can be used to buy licenses , such as the ability to equip certain equipment or spells or enhancements such as increased potency of potions and spells or simply raising your strength and increasing your HP . However , just because you bought that license doesn't mean you can use it . Certain things like spells and skills have to be bought as well so buying the Cure license doesn't mean you can cast it , you have to buy it first . To be honest , this works better than X's system because unlike that system where you had to level up your health , strength , defense etc , individually , your traditional levelling up does it for you while the licenses are merely bonuses . However , there's no thieves / white mages-type thing here so you can actually make characters all equip bows if you wanted which takes away a bit of their uniqueness . The other addition is the Gambit system . Basically these are if commands which state that if a certain condition is there , an action is performed by your character . For example : if a character falls below a certain health percentage , your character or an ally will automatically perform Cure . If there's a fire-based enemy , you can have your ally automatically cast Blizzard . You can also set order preference so curing and health management take priority over attacking for example . Some say that it later makes the battles easier but personally it makes it funner and considering that they're all controllable , it's fun to not have to worry about them . Money has been changed as well . Enemies no longer carry vast amounts of Gil in their pocket , but instead they carry treasures . They can carry furs , stones and such and then those are sold in the market . Also you can take on various bounties where you hunt down a creature . It works in theory as well as just simple common sense ( how is it that a bat carries Gil and what for anyway ? ) , you don't get as much money as you should , especially considering you have to buy spells as well as techniques , weaponry , protective garments as well as supplies . As for the difficulty ? It can get quite hairy . One early boss encounter pitted me up against at least 6 enemies , 2 of which were the main enemies and boy did they pack a wallop , finished me in 2 minutes flat . Party management and levelling are a must if you're to survive . I don't think there even is a Final Fantasy that's absolutely perfect but it's probably still going to be one of the more impressive RPG's you've played and XII is no different .
• 038 4  I think the game is great except for one thing . I played Final Fantasy 7,8 and 9 several times all without the use of the book , And then played them again with it . I dont like the fact that the book for Final Fantasy XII is an absolute necessity , You cannot get the best weapon in the game if you open certain treasure chests all throughout this game . You cannot get certain places without a ridiculous labrinth of Go through the second tunnel , Then back out . . Through the first then loop around to the third then exit the area and do it all over again and the boss will appear Stuff like that is the norm for this game and it just gets redundant and silly . I dont like the marketing scheme at work here . The book should be optional not mandatory .
• 039 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I hated this game . I grew up watching my older brother playing final fantasy games and I loved watching it . I finally got a ps2 and started playing them for myself and loved them . This one I got for christmas last year and . . . . well . . . it's a year later and I still can't stand to play it . I hate the fighting style . I didn't CARE about any of the characters and didn't really get intrigued by the story line . I gave it 5 hours before switching to Mortal Kombat just so that I could have a character I could REALLY control . This game sent me looking for my old sega ! My roomate tried made it about 16 hours into the game before giving up . I couldn't even watch him play it I was so bored . The graphics were great . That's the only good thing this game has to offer .
• 045 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I bought the game the night of the release . I took it straight home and played it that very night like many of us did . Within the first 2 hours of playing I was hooked . Yes , like all new games , getting used to a new world , battle system , monsters , leveling systems and how to aquire items is always a challenge . But I think the developers saw the possibility of people becoming frustrated and they put items throughout the game to assist in leveling up , finding the way around , buying items , getting from pt . a to pt . b , ect . . . It is a huge , vast and enormous game , endless choices ! It is marvelous ! I love the concept of having to take back your pillaged items and selling them . To me that makes it seem more real to life . If I were to go out and kill a few birds , beasts , catch a few fish ect . . . I would not expect ever to find a shiny brass farthing on them . However I would expect to have to take what I could and sell it . That would be how I would make my living . The same concept exists here . I find the game to be beautiful , brilliant and hypnotic . I enjoy listening to all the characters voices , I enjoy the story line and I feel pulled into the world . I am now about 55 hours into the game and my opinion at 2.4 hours hasn't changed . If anything it has only deepened the conviction that I have that Squaresoft knew what it was doing and that they did a splendid job .
• 053 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) After playing part X , i was expecting this game to be terrible . I was pleasantly surprised however , as this game ( part XII ) differs from part X in two major ways : 1 ) The main character's voice acting is MUCH better than the whiny and annoying Tidus from part X , and the overall voice acting quality is also MUCH BETTER and a pleasure to listen to . 2 ) The map is no longer linear as it was in part X . In part X , you were SEVERELY restricted to a linear map . This game has brought back the world map , and I cannot be happier . Also , I was pleasantly surprised with the battle system : I love it , tho it is plenty different from previous battle systems . Simply put , it is Phantasy Star Online offline done right . At first i imagined the idea of Gambits ( automated actions you assign to your characters ) to be horrifying , but with my first foray to go fight an enemy , i immediately fell in love with it ; it was a different but truly refreshing experience , a departure from the standard wait and input command . . . . things happen very fast . I also thought that the idea of Licenses ( you get license points after defeating enemies in order to apply to your license board from the menu screen , and this allows you to gain access to equip weapons or use magic ) would be crippling to this game , but once again to my surprise , this system actually motivates you to go out and fight monsters . Almost everything in this installment is done differently , but it is done so well , and with amazing quality . I am only 11 hours thru , but I already have fallen in love with this game . So far , I think this game to actually be a true contender with Final Fantasy VII , a game that I think and have thought , for about 8 years now , to be the series ' best , as well as the best RPG ever . My only gripe is that map in the top right-hand corner . . . . . I find that I look at that map more than I do the beautiful graphics of the game . A must-buy for even the most jaded RPG player .
• 054 4  After playing part X , i was expecting this game to be terrible . I was pleasantly surprised however , as this game ( part XII ) differs from part X in two major ways : 1 ) The main character's voice acting is MUCH better than the whiny and annoying Tidus from part X , and the overall voice acting quality is also MUCH BETTER and a pleasure to listen to . 2 ) The map is no longer linear as it was in part X . In part X , you were SEVERELY restricted to a linear map . This game has brought back the world map , and I cannot be happier . Also , I was pleasantly surprised with the battle system : I love it , tho it is plenty different from previous battle systems . Simply put , it is Phantasy Star Online offline done right . At first i imagined the idea of Gambits ( automated actions you assign to your characters ) to be horrifying , but with my first foray to go fight an enemy , i immediately fell in love with it ; it was a different but truly refreshing experience , a departure from the standard wait and input command . . . . things happen very fast . I also thought that the idea of Licenses ( you get license points after defeating enemies in order to apply to your license board from the menu screen , and this allows you to gain access to equip weapons or use magic ) would be crippling to this game , but once again to my surprise , this system actually motivates you to go out and fight monsters . Almost everything in this installment is done differently , but it is done so well , and with amazing quality . I am only 11 hours thru , but I already have fallen in love with this game . So far , I think this game to actually be a true contender with Final Fantasy VII , a game that I think and have thought , for about 8 years now , to be the series ' best , as well as the best RPG ever . My only gripe is that map in the top right-hand corner . . . . . I find that I look at that map more than I do the beautiful graphics of the game . A must-buy for even the most jaded RPG player .
• 061 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I must admit to being surprised by the number of high reviews this game has received . I found it terribly disappointing , although if you love online gaming then you will love this game . It is basically an online game packaged as an offline RPG . It removed all the good aspects of offline gaming and kept all the things that are annoying about online , just to get the worst of both in one neat bundle . I will mention the good things about this game . The graphics are spectacular and the new battle system is interesting in that it attempts ( with some success ) to satisfy both the players who loathe menu systems and those who loathe AI systems that have your fighters chasing butterfliers while your healers wade into the battle and get massacred . The thing which killed this game was the story , or rather the complete lack of one . I have heard the story line called epic and complicated . Uh , when ? The story line is very basic and has only one or two twists . Character development is pretty much non-existant . And yes , I have played the whole game . Take Penelo . Her character story can be summed up as Childhood friend of Vaan's who goes along because being left behind would be boring . That's it . The sad thing is , the story had potential if it had gotten developed . Instead of working on the story the designers spent ages coming up with tons of pointless , boring sidequests and this is said by a person who normally levels characters up to 99 and will spend hours chasing through a dungeon to get a slightly better weapon . In this game the sidequests got repetitive and didn't get you much . Hunts ? There are forty five or so and after the first ten it becomes tedious in the extreme . Status effects ? Learn to hate them because the ribbon accessory to block them is almost impossible to get . There is one in a chest that may or may not appear and which may or may not have a ribbon . I worked out the percentages and to get three ribbons you would , on average , have to reboot the system three hundred times . Wow , what fun . You can also try to get one as a drop from a rare creature that has a 1 in 256 chance of showing up after fulfilling certain conditions if that is a more appealing way to kill twenty hours or so . It's right up there with watching paint dry . As I said , it is basically an online game . I play RPG's for story and characters that you can at least be interested in , even if you don't like them . If you want story then don't bother with this game . Go play Xenogears or Xenosaga . Now those games had deep and complicated plots , not to mention character development . This game was just beautiful graphics around no substance .
• 073 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Very fun . Even though Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X - 2 where both good , Final Fantasy XII is more like a regular Final Fantasy game .
• 075 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) OMG People ! ! ! ! Quit comparing this game to other Final Fantasy games ! ! ! The only other final fantasy game I have ever played was X , and I never finished it because of the last ( I think ) boss battle with Sin , and XII is head-over-heels better than X . I especially like the fact that the battles are not random . No longer do you take 3 steps and find yourself in a battle , and then take another 2 steps and you're in another battle ! The graphics are AMAZING , as is the story . Don't listen to the other reviewers who bad talk the characters . The characters were amazing also . I really liked Fran and Balthier . Vaan was forgettable as the main character , but all the rest were pretty good . All in all , if you look at this game separately , without comparing it to other Final Fantasy games , than you will see a solid , fun experience that will last a LONG time . I have already clocked in well over 120 hours !
• 090 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) FINAL FANTASY XII has a lot to live up to : not only is it the first real Final Fantasy since FINAL FANTASY X in 2002 , its release date was constantly pushed back and Internet hype had all the fanboys and girls humming with anticipation . Even though it lacks the flawless storytelling of its predecessor , I'm happy to say that it thoroughly lives up to those that came before it , if not being a step above . The story itself tries on an unprecedentedly mature backdrop - a peaceful kingdom caught between warring empires , with princesses , disgraced ex-soldiers , sky pirates and street urchins as your main cast . Finally your party is actually qualified ( well , most of them ) instead of your garden-variety ragtag group of heroes with a destiny . Most of the plot hangs on what seems like recycled junk - a power struggle over small stones containing lots of magical power - but is actually revealed to be a much deeper , complex story involving other fallen kingdoms , surprising familial connections between the goodies and the baddies , and a weird emphasis on politics that wasn't present in previous games . And Square once again cannot help itself from throwing in a last-minute Higher Power subplot to jostle what the player thinks he or she really knows . But after X's epic storyline , Square stopped and said to themselves , We really can't get more epic . Hey , how about the gameplay ? Thus the birth of the ADB ( Active Dimension Battle ) battle system . It looks confusing at first , and when you actually get your hands on a controller and try it out , you probably won't like it . But relax ! It's more similar to the turn-based days of yore than you'd think , only with all the improvements you've ever wanted and more . Battling becomes less of a chore ( the shattering glass ! the warp to a new battle screen ! the call-to-arms music ! ) and more in-your-face fun , and you can switch characters in and out on the fly , as well as their weapons and armor . You also have the ability to tinker with their gambits , which tell your characters what they should do using a list of prioritized actions . Say you're in battle with an enemy who is weak vs . the ice element . If you've set your gambit up right , your character will recognize that weakness and cast the ice spell of your choice against it . As your characters ' HP dwindles , one of them will cast Cura for the party - but only once someone's HP reaches the half mark , if that's the way you've set it up . Once you've set your gambits up to your liking you can sit back and actually leave the controller alone as you watch your characters do battle . ( I got up and made popcorn once . ) Of course you can always make your characters do different things by manually overriding the gambits , because Square wants to remind us the players are in charge , not the characters . With the License Board system , characters can trade LP acquired from battle for the ability to wield a Bloodsword , or for an extra gambit slot , or the ability to cast Cure ( which must be bought , as well , before your characters can use it ) . There is also a seemingly limitless amount of side quests and summons to acquire , meaning even after you've finished the main storyline , there remains hours of leveling up and exploring new dungeons . Maps are all linked together so that you can travel on foot from one end of the world to the other ( minus a few places only reachable by airship ) , from the hot and humid Dalmasca Estersand to the frigid , mountainous Paramina Rift . There are some drawbacks - dungeons are annoyingly huge , money is hard to come by , and leveling up is a tedious process until you get the EXP-doubling Embroidered Tippet - but they are mostly overshadowed . All in all , Ivalice is a fun and engaging world to lose yourself in , and FINAL FANTASY XII is a winner that will go down in the books as one of the top games in its famous family .
• 108 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I have long been a fan of the final fantasy series way back to when it was on NES . . . They are basically the only video games I have ever had any interest in playing . . . After a long wait , the new Final Fantasy XII is here ! I must say , I had very high expectations of this game from reading the previews published on the web . . . Every one of those expectations were exceeded by this game . . . . The graphics are spectacular , and the new game engine allows for seamless transition from fight to walkthrough . . . . The game environment is the best I have ever seen on the Playstation 2 . . . This is definitely a must have . . . .
• 109 4  I have long been a fan of the final fantasy series way back to when it was on NES . . . They are basically the only video games I have ever had any interest in playing . . . After a long wait , the new Final Fantasy XII is here ! I must say , I had very high expectations of this game from reading the previews published on the web . . . Every one of those expectations were exceeded by this game . . . . The graphics are spectacular , and the new game engine allows for seamless transition from fight to walkthrough . . . . The game environment is the best I have ever seen on the Playstation 2 . . . This is definitely a must have . . . .
• 127 4  I was reluctant at first to accept a real-time Final Fantasy . But really , it's not that different than the ATB system that's been used off and on since Final Fantasy IV ( II in the US ) . The major difference is that it's simultaneous , and you don't have to control the other characters if you don't want to . The intriguing and straightforward story is a breath of fresh air after years of Nomura entries , political affairs are always good for the foundation of a decent plot . None of the characters come off as annoying , even Vaan is more bearable than his design would imply . Speaking of design , the game has a very tight style , things rarely look out of place . The model work is fantastic , though you'd be hard pressed to tell when output through a PS2 . I highly reccomend this game to anyone who is interested in the Final Fantasy series , or RPG's in general . It may not be the best starting point , because the battle systems in other games will feel a little clunky after playing this one for many hours .
• 143 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game is a great sequel to the other Final Fantasy games , 1 - 11 . I have played most of these and this game is one of the most fun Final Fantasy games . If you need to use a guide for any of the games it would be this one , it can get really confusing and hard to find want to do . Overall this is a great game and a great buy .
• 144 4  This game is a great sequel to the other Final Fantasy games , 1 - 11 . I have played most of these and this game is one of the most fun Final Fantasy games . If you need to use a guide for any of the games it would be this one , it can get really confusing and hard to find want to do . Overall this is a great game and a great buy .
• 154 4  I played final Fantasy XII , and i got so hooked on it . This game is a must have for any final fantasy junkie . the way skills are learned , number ways of leveling up and setting up your characters anyway you want is a huge plus .
• 182 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) First , a quick review of the game overall and the gameplay . The gameplay surprised me pleasantly after the intial shock of how different it was . I would go so far as to call it addicting . The cities are massive and I can tell I am missing most of the secrets / side quests by just sticking to the main storyline . Replay value is excellent - I've already started playing again . I totally agree with the many reviewers on here who've said that it's the story & characters that matter most with these games . A little perspective on my preference : I've played V , VII , VIII , IX , X , X - 2 . VII , VIII , & X are wonderful IMO . Enjoyed IX in spite of the more juvinile feeling until the plot stopped making sense to me , and absolutely LOATHED X - 2 I am sad to say . Anyways . . . my main point . I will use two words to describe the plot in this game : subtle and intricate . Now I'll be honest . I'm not sure I followed the whole Venar ( ? ) / Ocuria ( ? ) thing , but I think I got it in essense . As many have said , this is a more realistic game , the least like anime of all of them . It has a distinctly political bent ( thankfully , we're not talking preachy political here ) . Again , I was surprised that different could be this good . The voice acting - or maybe I will just say acting , because a lot of the time you forget you are playing a game - is as close to perfect as I have ever seen . Balthier , of course , being the standout for his cavalier humor . I also loved the subtlety of Basch's character . We are left to conjecture on many points , especially concerning his past and his brother . Fran and Penelo - also excellent . While I liked Ashe and Vaan , I thought they were slightly overshadowed by the coolness of the other characters . Excellent side characters : Gabranth , Ondore , Larsa . The writing / dialog IS perfect , one or two iffy lines aside . Another complaint I read is that there is no romance . I would disagree . There are really 2 obvious couples here , and 1 that is not-so-obvious ( and therefore more interesting ) . Balthier and Fran are fairly in-your-face . Vaan and Penelo seemed more like siblings to me , quite honestly , but I never doubted that they were an item . Now this may just be my opinion , but I suspect Basch might have been in love with Ashe from the beginning . Like I said - it's subtle ; you have to watch & listen carefully throughout the game . Pay close attention to the ending . Notice that Ashe removes her wedding ring as we're obviously supposed to assume she is thinking about him . Notice his reaction when he reads that she misses him . It reminds me of that short story The Lady or the Tiger - we are left to guess what will happen next . Will he decide to keep the oath he made to Larsa or will he go back to her ? Now maybe this doesn't work for some people , but I think it's great . So I guess the bottom line is , you're going to need patience to really appreciate this game . Not because it is frustrating , but because of its depth of plot and character . Truly a masterpiece .
• 183 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) First , a quick review of the game overall and the gameplay . The gameplay surprised me pleasantly after the intial shock of how different it was . I would go so far as to call it addicting . The cities are massive and I can tell I am missing most of the secrets / side quests by just sticking to the main storyline . Replay value is excellent - I've already started playing again . I totally agree with the many reviewers on here who've said that it's the story & characters that matter most with these games . A little perspective on my preference : I've played V , VII , VIII , IX , X , X - 2 . VII , VIII , & X are wonderful IMO . Enjoyed IX in spite of the more juvinile feeling until the plot stopped making sense to me , and absolutely LOATHED X - 2 I am sad to say . Anyways . . . my main point . I will use two words to describe the plot in this game : subtle and intricate . Now I'll be honest . I'm not sure I followed the whole Venar ( ? ) / Ocuria ( ? ) thing , but I think I got it in essense . As many have said , this is a more realistic game , the least like anime of all of them . It has a distinctly political bent ( thankfully , we're not talking preachy political here ) . Again , I was surprised that different could be this good . The voice acting - or maybe I will just say acting , because a lot of the time you forget you are playing a game - is as close to perfect as I have ever seen . Balthier , of course , being the standout for his cavalier humor . I also loved the subtlety of Basch's character . We are left to conjecture on many points , especially concerning his past and his brother . Fran and Penelo - also excellent . While I liked Ashe and Vaan , I thought they were slightly overshadowed by the coolness of the other characters . Excellent side characters : Gabranth , Ondore , Larsa . The writing / dialog IS perfect , one or two iffy lines aside . Another complaint I read is that there is no romance . I would disagree . There are really 2 obvious couples here , and 1 that is not-so-obvious ( and therefore more interesting ) . Balthier and Fran are fairly in-your-face . Vaan and Penelo seemed more like siblings to me , quite honestly , but I never doubted that they were an item . Now this may just be my opinion , but I suspect Basch might have been in love with Ashe from the beginning . Like I said - it's subtle ; you have to watch & listen carefully throughout the game . Pay close attention to the ending . Notice that Ashe removes her wedding ring as we're obviously supposed to assume she is thinking about him . Notice his reaction when he reads that she misses him . It reminds me of that short story The Lady or the Tiger - we are left to guess what will happen next . Will he decide to keep the oath he made to Larsa or will he go back to her ? Now maybe this doesn't work for some people , but I think it's great . So I guess the bottom line is , you're going to need patience to really appreciate this game . Not because it is frustrating , but because of its depth of plot and character . Truly a masterpiece .
• 221 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Ok to start off I have been playing Final Fantasy since the NES so I know a few things about what makes a Final Fantasy good and bad . In my opinion the pinical of the Final Fantasy series was VII and VIII they are the two best that I had ever played . IX was a good game but no the story was sketchy at best , X was good but there were some voice problems but thats to be expected when startinf something new . X - 2 . . . . . I don't even think this should bear the name Final Fantasy this game had to reach to touch rock bottom . XI I did not like the idea of a Final Fantasy MMORPG . XII thank God they finaly took the time and made a Final Fantasy to rival VII and VIII . The battle system has been completely re-done and is much better , the license system is easy to pick up and understand , graphics are second to no other PS2 game I have ever played . The story is different than the other Final Fantasy's in that it isn't an end of the world power struggle ; now it focuses on a more political aspect of trying to restore a country from under the control of oppressive empire . There is no main character anymore each character has his / her own backstory and purpose for joining the party other than to support a leader ex . Bash is there to restore his honor , Ashe is trying to get her people freed , Vaan is there to avenge his brother ect . I will not say this is the best Final Fantasy ever but it is a welcome and much needed breath of fresh air into what I feared was a dieing series .
• 222 4  Ok to start off I have been playing Final Fantasy since the NES so I know a few things about what makes a Final Fantasy good and bad . In my opinion the pinical of the Final Fantasy series was VII and VIII they are the two best that I had ever played . IX was a good game but no the story was sketchy at best , X was good but there were some voice problems but thats to be expected when startinf something new . X - 2 . . . . . I don't even think this should bear the name Final Fantasy this game had to reach to touch rock bottom . XI I did not like the idea of a Final Fantasy MMORPG . XII thank God they finaly took the time and made a Final Fantasy to rival VII and VIII . The battle system has been completely re-done and is much better , the license system is easy to pick up and understand , graphics are second to no other PS2 game I have ever played . The story is different than the other Final Fantasy's in that it isn't an end of the world power struggle ; now it focuses on a more political aspect of trying to restore a country from under the control of oppressive empire . There is no main character anymore each character has his / her own backstory and purpose for joining the party other than to support a leader ex . Bash is there to restore his honor , Ashe is trying to get her people freed , Vaan is there to avenge his brother ect . I will not say this is the best Final Fantasy ever but it is a welcome and much needed breath of fresh air into what I feared was a dieing series .
• 227 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I played final fantasy X and found it to be the best game I ever played but this game came very short of expectations . Final Fantasy X had an excellent story and X - 2 was fun although not strong material . In this game you might as well take time to do the side games . Going through the game you long deseperately for the twist that never happens . It is like a book that goes on and on where the ending disappoints a lot . The character Vaan is one useless main character who works like a side one . The point of Final Fantasy is the story and gameplay . The story is pointless . The gameplay is better than X though . The live fighting mode gets rid of the most annoying part of X and all Final Fantasy Games . The Weapon system is good although I didn't like the license thing better than sphere system of X . The summons are pointless however . This game could have been great if Basch was the main character and the twists were left for later in the game .
• 228 4  I played final fantasy X and found it to be the best game I ever played but this game came very short of expectations . Final Fantasy X had an excellent story and X - 2 was fun although not strong material . In this game you might as well take time to do the side games . Going through the game you long deseperately for the twist that never happens . It is like a book that goes on and on where the ending disappoints a lot . The character Vaan is one useless main character who works like a side one . The point of Final Fantasy is the story and gameplay . The story is pointless . The gameplay is better than X though . The live fighting mode gets rid of the most annoying part of X and all Final Fantasy Games . The Weapon system is good although I didn't like the license thing better than sphere system of X . The summons are pointless however . This game could have been great if Basch was the main character and the twists were left for later in the game .
• 229 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Summer vacation started 336 hours ago . I have spent over 120 of those hours secluded in my room , living off of Pizza Pops and soda , playing this game feverishly . The actual time to simply run through the game and do the basics is only about 80 or 90 + hours , but the amount of side quests and extras that this game has adds many hours of fun to an otherwise excellent game . One of the major points of dispute about this game is the melee style battle system , rather than the round based system we are all used to . Personally , I think this new system is fantastic and really adds some Oomph to the game . It makes the battles more realistic and challenging , but helps you hone your melee style skills . It gives you less time to think about your battle strategy , but after a while you don't need to form a strategy - you just know what to do . Another aspect of the battle scenario is the ` loot ' that you get from the foes . Instead of your enemies dropping Gil , they drop items that are directly related to their ` character ' . For example , a wolf would drop a wolf pelt . You would then sell this loot for Gil . I think it is a more realistic way to make Gil because I would find it hard to believe that a wolf or giant insect has a pouch of money strapped to its side . Since you can be controlling up to three characters at a time , the game provides us with a system , called ` Gambits ' , to make our jobs a little easier . The Gambits are pre-determined actions to a specific situation . So , for example , rather than scrolling through each characters attack menu and saying ` attack ' , you can simply pre-program your characters to attack a foe whenever it shows up . You can , however , override these pre-programed orders . Another addition to this game is the licence board . It is similar to the sphere grid of Final Fantasy X , but less complicated . The storyline of this game is a classic - a party trying to win back power over their dominated land . But , per Final Fantasy style , it goes through many very interesting twists and turns along the way , making for a compelling , intriguing plot . There were some rough patched , however . I found that from time to time certain things went unexplained , or weren't really explained thoroughly enough . For example , what , exactly , were those God-like creatures and what was their role in the story ? The game tries to explain it , but I ended up a little bit lost . When all is said and done , the plot of this story is interesting , but Square Enix has yet to surpass the masterpiece of Final Fantasy VII . Graphically , this game is just incredible . There were a couple times where I couldn't tell when in-game graphics ended and a cinematic started . The in-game graphics are constantly improving and Square Enix really made it great . The cinematics are simply incredible . They are so smooth and detailed it's insane . I really do wish they would have had a place in the game were we could re-watch unlocked cinematics . One of the main problems that I had with the game was not the layout or battle system - it was the characters . There are one or two wonderfully colourful characters in the game , such as Balthier , but some if not most of the other characters are a little one dimensional . While Yuna from Final Fantasy X , who has many of the same characteristics as Ashe , was loveable and endearing , Ashe was just kind of . . . there . There didn't really seem to be a strong bond between all the members of the group . The one obvious romance in the game seemed to fan out by the end , but there were other romances that were alluded to , but never really dealt with . Final Fantasy has always been known for the strong emotional bond between characters and the gamer , but this time that bond was a little weak . One thing that I simply cannot flaw , however , is the quality of the voice actors . I thought that they were all simply superb , even the characters who didn't play a large role in the game . Major kudos to the voice actors . Despite the few flaws that this game has , I would still highly recommend it to anybody who loves the Final Fantasy series . While I do think that Final Fantasy VII and X were better games overall , that does not mean that this game was not excellent in a lot of ways . This is definitely a must have . The Good : - The graphics are simply incredible in every way . - The new battle system is a lot more organic and challenging . - The voice actors are top notch - The plot is intriguing - There are a TON of extras that will keep you hooked for hours - Good gameplay length The Bad : - Some of the characters are a bit flat and the strong emotional bond to them wasn't there - The plot has a few parts that are confusing - The ending cinematic , while graphically flawless , didn't tie up all the loose ends . Overall , fantastic game , fantastic graphics , fantastic acting , great story and a wonderful edition to the Final Fantasy family .
• 230 4  Summer vacation started 336 hours ago . I have spent over 120 of those hours secluded in my room , living off of Pizza Pops and soda , playing this game feverishly . The actual time to simply run through the game and do the basics is only about 80 or 90 + hours , but the amount of side quests and extras that this game has adds many hours of fun to an otherwise excellent game . One of the major points of dispute about this game is the melee style battle system , rather than the round based system we are all used to . Personally , I think this new system is fantastic and really adds some Oomph to the game . It makes the battles more realistic and challenging , but helps you hone your melee style skills . It gives you less time to think about your battle strategy , but after a while you don't need to form a strategy - you just know what to do . Another aspect of the battle scenario is the ` loot ' that you get from the foes . Instead of your enemies dropping Gil , they drop items that are directly related to their ` character ' . For example , a wolf would drop a wolf pelt . You would then sell this loot for Gil . I think it is a more realistic way to make Gil because I would find it hard to believe that a wolf or giant insect has a pouch of money strapped to its side . Since you can be controlling up to three characters at a time , the game provides us with a system , called ` Gambits ' , to make our jobs a little easier . The Gambits are pre-determined actions to a specific situation . So , for example , rather than scrolling through each characters attack menu and saying ` attack ' , you can simply pre-program your characters to attack a foe whenever it shows up . You can , however , override these pre-programed orders . Another addition to this game is the licence board . It is similar to the sphere grid of Final Fantasy X , but less complicated . The storyline of this game is a classic - a party trying to win back power over their dominated land . But , per Final Fantasy style , it goes through many very interesting twists and turns along the way , making for a compelling , intriguing plot . There were some rough patched , however . I found that from time to time certain things went unexplained , or weren't really explained thoroughly enough . For example , what , exactly , were those God-like creatures and what was their role in the story ? The game tries to explain it , but I ended up a little bit lost . When all is said and done , the plot of this story is interesting , but Square Enix has yet to surpass the masterpiece of Final Fantasy VII . Graphically , this game is just incredible . There were a couple times where I couldn't tell when in-game graphics ended and a cinematic started . The in-game graphics are constantly improving and Square Enix really made it great . The cinematics are simply incredible . They are so smooth and detailed it's insane . I really do wish they would have had a place in the game were we could re-watch unlocked cinematics . One of the main problems that I had with the game was not the layout or battle system - it was the characters . There are one or two wonderfully colourful characters in the game , such as Balthier , but some if not most of the other characters are a little one dimensional . While Yuna from Final Fantasy X , who has many of the same characteristics as Ashe , was loveable and endearing , Ashe was just kind of . . . there . There didn't really seem to be a strong bond between all the members of the group . The one obvious romance in the game seemed to fan out by the end , but there were other romances that were alluded to , but never really dealt with . Final Fantasy has always been known for the strong emotional bond between characters and the gamer , but this time that bond was a little weak . One thing that I simply cannot flaw , however , is the quality of the voice actors . I thought that they were all simply superb , even the characters who didn't play a large role in the game . Major kudos to the voice actors . Despite the few flaws that this game has , I would still highly recommend it to anybody who loves the Final Fantasy series . While I do think that Final Fantasy VII and X were better games overall , that does not mean that this game was not excellent in a lot of ways . This is definitely a must have . The Good : - The graphics are simply incredible in every way . - The new battle system is a lot more organic and challenging . - The voice actors are top notch - The plot is intriguing - There are a TON of extras that will keep you hooked for hours - Good gameplay length The Bad : - Some of the characters are a bit flat and the strong emotional bond to them wasn't there - The plot has a few parts that are confusing - The ending cinematic , while graphically flawless , didn't tie up all the loose ends . Overall , fantastic game , fantastic graphics , fantastic acting , great story and a wonderful edition to the Final Fantasy family .
• 249 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Having never played an RPG before , I had no idea what to expect . Fortunately , this game is very modern , sophisticated , and plays similarly to an action / adventure game . Think of it as Lord of the Rings mixed with Star Wars . The main character is Vaan , a likable street kid looking for some excitement , and not too concerned with whether it's legal or not . While on one of his misadventures , he meets a couple of sky pirates , and hooks up with the deposed princess of the kingdom as well . You see , the kingdom has recently been overthrown by an evil empire , and as the story progresses , you and the rest of your party go on a quest to discover how the princess may overthrow the empire and retake her throne . The characters and dialog are truly better than those in most movies , and probably the best I've ever seen in a video game . The story is quite interesting , though considering it took me 92 hours to finish the game , it can get a bit hard to keep track of - various plot points may be separated by 10 or 20 hours of gameplay , and it's easy to forget some of the intricacies . You'll spend most of your time traveling through a huge variety of different areas , trying to get to your destination , while encountering numerous foes standing in your way . The battle system is based on a sort of programming scheme - your basic command for your characters is to attack the nearest foe , and from there you expand upon it by having members of your party automatically cast healing spells when needed , or attack using various types of magic instead of weapons , etc . etc . etc . It's a somewhat complex system , as deciding what your party members should do requires a lot of strategy , and as you progress through the game you'll figure out what works well and what doesn't . This stuff is a large part of the fun of the game , as you're always encountering new situations that require you to modify your instructions for your characters . You can't just rely on these commands to get you through every battle though , you'll need to keep a close eye on every situation and take a more hands-on approach for the tougher battles . As I said , there are a huge variety of environments , and a large number of sub-quests you go on in order to eventually accomplish the main quest . After playing for 92 hours , I never got bored once . The graphics are simply spectacular - there's a gigantic battle near the end that's simply breathtaking - I felt like I was watching a Star Wars movie . If you've got an HDTV , I'd definitely recommend getting the component cables for your PS2 and hooking it up . Overall , if you like action / adventure games and are a bit tired of the usual button mashing you get with hack ' n ' slash games , I'd recommend this game highly . It's definitely one of the top 5 PS2 games I've ever played .
• 250 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Having never played an RPG before , I had no idea what to expect . Fortunately , this game is very modern , sophisticated , and plays similarly to an action / adventure game . Think of it as Lord of the Rings mixed with Star Wars . The main character is Vaan , a likable street kid looking for some excitement , and not too concerned with whether it's legal or not . While on one of his misadventures , he meets a couple of sky pirates , and hooks up with the deposed princess of the kingdom as well . You see , the kingdom has recently been overthrown by an evil empire , and as the story progresses , you and the rest of your party go on a quest to discover how the princess may overthrow the empire and retake her throne . The characters and dialog are truly better than those in most movies , and probably the best I've ever seen in a video game . The story is quite interesting , though considering it took me 92 hours to finish the game , it can get a bit hard to keep track of - various plot points may be separated by 10 or 20 hours of gameplay , and it's easy to forget some of the intricacies . You'll spend most of your time traveling through a huge variety of different areas , trying to get to your destination , while encountering numerous foes standing in your way . The battle system is based on a sort of programming scheme - your basic command for your characters is to attack the nearest foe , and from there you expand upon it by having members of your party automatically cast healing spells when needed , or attack using various types of magic instead of weapons , etc . etc . etc . It's a somewhat complex system , as deciding what your party members should do requires a lot of strategy , and as you progress through the game you'll figure out what works well and what doesn't . This stuff is a large part of the fun of the game , as you're always encountering new situations that require you to modify your instructions for your characters . You can't just rely on these commands to get you through every battle though , you'll need to keep a close eye on every situation and take a more hands-on approach for the tougher battles . As I said , there are a huge variety of environments , and a large number of sub-quests you go on in order to eventually accomplish the main quest . After playing for 92 hours , I never got bored once . The graphics are simply spectacular - there's a gigantic battle near the end that's simply breathtaking - I felt like I was watching a Star Wars movie . If you've got an HDTV , I'd definitely recommend getting the component cables for your PS2 and hooking it up . Overall , if you like action / adventure games and are a bit tired of the usual button mashing you get with hack ' n ' slash games , I'd recommend this game highly . It's definitely one of the top 5 PS2 games I've ever played .
• 251 4  Having never played an RPG before , I had no idea what to expect . Fortunately , this game is very modern , sophisticated , and plays similarly to an action / adventure game . Think of it as Lord of the Rings mixed with Star Wars . The main character is Vaan , a likable street kid looking for some excitement , and not too concerned with whether it's legal or not . While on one of his misadventures , he meets a couple of sky pirates , and hooks up with the deposed princess of the kingdom as well . You see , the kingdom has recently been overthrown by an evil empire , and as the story progresses , you and the rest of your party go on a quest to discover how the princess may overthrow the empire and retake her throne . The characters and dialog are truly better than those in most movies , and probably the best I've ever seen in a video game . The story is quite interesting , though considering it took me 92 hours to finish the game , it can get a bit hard to keep track of - various plot points may be separated by 10 or 20 hours of gameplay , and it's easy to forget some of the intricacies . You'll spend most of your time traveling through a huge variety of different areas , trying to get to your destination , while encountering numerous foes standing in your way . The battle system is based on a sort of programming scheme - your basic command for your characters is to attack the nearest foe , and from there you expand upon it by having members of your party automatically cast healing spells when needed , or attack using various types of magic instead of weapons , etc . etc . etc . It's a somewhat complex system , as deciding what your party members should do requires a lot of strategy , and as you progress through the game you'll figure out what works well and what doesn't . This stuff is a large part of the fun of the game , as you're always encountering new situations that require you to modify your instructions for your characters . You can't just rely on these commands to get you through every battle though , you'll need to keep a close eye on every situation and take a more hands-on approach for the tougher battles . As I said , there are a huge variety of environments , and a large number of sub-quests you go on in order to eventually accomplish the main quest . After playing for 92 hours , I never got bored once . The graphics are simply spectacular - there's a gigantic battle near the end that's simply breathtaking - I felt like I was watching a Star Wars movie . If you've got an HDTV , I'd definitely recommend getting the component cables for your PS2 and hooking it up . Overall , if you like action / adventure games and are a bit tired of the usual button mashing you get with hack ' n ' slash games , I'd recommend this game highly . It's definitely one of the top 5 PS2 games I've ever played .
• 270 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I recently bought a Playstation 2 to play all the Final Fantasies I had been missing out on ( and the ones that didn't make it to PC port ) . Final Fantasy XII was just one of the many games I am playing through . I am an avid Final Fantasy fan and although somewhat jaded by the previous single player entry in the series : Final Fantasy X ( and its lackluster sequel , Final Fantasy X - 2 ) , I am happy to report that Final Fantasy XII is a true return to form with overall fun when playing through it . Ther are good points and bad points to the game , but let's start out with the good . The brand new Active Dimension Battle System is a revolutionary way of fighting off monsters in a Final Fantasy game . It is truly a free-roaming world where you can explore and fight in real time without transfering to a battle screen . The monsters freely roam the countryside and if able can and will join the battle to take you down if you get close enough . Blue / red lines of intent clearly show your targets you are attacking and the characters being targeted by enemies . Not once was I confused as to what was going on in a battle . To tag along with this battle system is the introduction of gambits . Its a collection of user-made actions that have fulfillment requirements for characters to act upon . For example , if your party leader is attacking a enemy target , you can set a gambit up to have other characters attack that same target , thus bringing an enemy down faster . If a character is weak in HP , you can set up a gambit that is higher in priority than the ' attack leader's target ' and set the action to Cure or Potion . So in essence , if anyone gets below a certain HP amount , the cure action gambit takes precendence over attacking . With literally over 150 + gambit conditions and over 100 + different actions to take in any given situation , you can alter the gambit set of actions any way you want . Effectively making your team fight autonomously while you simply guide them around the map from battle to battle . Although you can exploit the system , making the game a bit easier , it is fun and a true guilty pleasure . The graphics are great and its sheer awe on the amount of areas they crammed into this game for you to explore . Each area alone is made up of at least 6 - 7 huge size area maps , some taking minutes to walk from one end to the other . The game world is huge and sprawling and near the end , you literally have complete freedom to move about it as you choose . The difficulty is just right as well , you are never left feeling too overpowered or ultimately too weak . The enemies you encounter both in the main quest and sidequests ( as they open up ) , seem to be tailored to exactly your level and present a likewise challenge . Although getting some of the Esper summons early did seem to be a bit of a chore and almost dictated / forced the player to come back at a much later time to acquire them than they really needed to be . Buying equipment and items is also something that seems balanced . I never felt I had too much money , but I never really felt I was lacking it either . I did , however , feel that I had to be mindful and careful on what I spent my money on , and that's always a good design aesthetic in any game , forcing the player to use his own judgement on where to spend his hard-earned money ! Now for the weak sauce : The story and characters . If its one thing that this game fails epic at , its this . There is no in-depth , complex story filled with twists , turns or surprises . Its merely an invasion of one country into another to gain the upper hand against a much stronger country with the underlying intent to actually get access to some powerful stones called Nethicite which enables users to be like gods . It gets into other aspects like god-like creatures who have always watched over Ivalice , etc . But on the whole , the story plays out predictable and nothing really is unexpected . The story also interferes with the gameplay a bit too little . There are long stretches of time where there is no story involvement at all , and you could be traveling the countryside for hours and start wondering : What was I supposed to be doing next ? Not a good thing to ask in an RPG if the designers set up the story right . The characters also never got fleshed out or developed very well . Sure , they have their basic personality and it truly seems Balthier and / or Ashe might have more to their characters than meets the eye . But nothing is ever touched upon or given much depth . There is no grand story arc for the entire group and its basically a bunch of goal-oriented people traveling together for the same reason . There isn't even much interaction between the group except at key story points . You play the game for the characters , and they just simply are not there , only hinted at . The license system also ranks in as being a bit clunky . Its true that it really is a unique way of leveling up your character and his / her skills . But it really is set up awkwardly and is a offball way of preventing your characters from getting too powerful , too early . It works , nothing is saying that it doesn't , but its just odd to get some awesome weapon from a store , but no one can equip it because no one has it licensed yet nor has the points to do so . So you must sit on this awesome weapon until you kill enough enemies to get the license points to earn the right to use it . Its weird , it works , but its just something that could have been refined more . Overall , this is a solid , fun , entry in the Final Fantasy franchise , but there are a few bumps in the road in terms of story telling . The last great story to come along was Final Fantasy IX , which has fully developed , and fully likeable characters . Regardless , its not a purchase I regret making and it truly is a pleasure to roam the countryside and explore , get loot , kill enemies and see if I can track down the elusive hunts and rare game . Its more Dungeons and Dragons in that sense than it is any Final Fantasy game . Despite all that , its still a worthy addition and definitely worth a look .
• 271 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I recently bought a Playstation 2 to play all the Final Fantasies I had been missing out on ( and the ones that didn't make it to PC port ) . Final Fantasy XII was just one of the many games I am playing through . I am an avid Final Fantasy fan and although somewhat jaded by the previous single player entry in the series : Final Fantasy X ( and its lackluster sequel , Final Fantasy X - 2 ) , I am happy to report that Final Fantasy XII is a true return to form with overall fun when playing through it . Ther are good points and bad points to the game , but let's start out with the good . The brand new Active Dimension Battle System is a revolutionary way of fighting off monsters in a Final Fantasy game . It is truly a free-roaming world where you can explore and fight in real time without transfering to a battle screen . The monsters freely roam the countryside and if able can and will join the battle to take you down if you get close enough . Blue / red lines of intent clearly show your targets you are attacking and the characters being targeted by enemies . Not once was I confused as to what was going on in a battle . To tag along with this battle system is the introduction of gambits . Its a collection of user-made actions that have fulfillment requirements for characters to act upon . For example , if your party leader is attacking a enemy target , you can set a gambit up to have other characters attack that same target , thus bringing an enemy down faster . If a character is weak in HP , you can set up a gambit that is higher in priority than the ' attack leader's target ' and set the action to Cure or Potion . So in essence , if anyone gets below a certain HP amount , the cure action gambit takes precendence over attacking . With literally over 150 + gambit conditions and over 100 + different actions to take in any given situation , you can alter the gambit set of actions any way you want . Effectively making your team fight autonomously while you simply guide them around the map from battle to battle . Although you can exploit the system , making the game a bit easier , it is fun and a true guilty pleasure . The graphics are great and its sheer awe on the amount of areas they crammed into this game for you to explore . Each area alone is made up of at least 6 - 7 huge size area maps , some taking minutes to walk from one end to the other . The game world is huge and sprawling and near the end , you literally have complete freedom to move about it as you choose . The difficulty is just right as well , you are never left feeling too overpowered or ultimately too weak . The enemies you encounter both in the main quest and sidequests ( as they open up ) , seem to be tailored to exactly your level and present a likewise challenge . Although getting some of the Esper summons early did seem to be a bit of a chore and almost dictated / forced the player to come back at a much later time to acquire them than they really needed to be . Buying equipment and items is also something that seems balanced . I never felt I had too much money , but I never really felt I was lacking it either . I did , however , feel that I had to be mindful and careful on what I spent my money on , and that's always a good design aesthetic in any game , forcing the player to use his own judgement on where to spend his hard-earned money ! Now for the weak sauce : The story and characters . If its one thing that this game fails epic at , its this . There is no in-depth , complex story filled with twists , turns or surprises . Its merely an invasion of one country into another to gain the upper hand against a much stronger country with the underlying intent to actually get access to some powerful stones called Nethicite which enables users to be like gods . It gets into other aspects like god-like creatures who have always watched over Ivalice , etc . But on the whole , the story plays out predictable and nothing really is unexpected . The story also interferes with the gameplay a bit too little . There are long stretches of time where there is no story involvement at all , and you could be traveling the countryside for hours and start wondering : What was I supposed to be doing next ? Not a good thing to ask in an RPG if the designers set up the story right . The characters also never got fleshed out or developed very well . Sure , they have their basic personality and it truly seems Balthier and / or Ashe might have more to their characters than meets the eye . But nothing is ever touched upon or given much depth . There is no grand story arc for the entire group and its basically a bunch of goal-oriented people traveling together for the same reason . There isn't even much interaction between the group except at key story points . You play the game for the characters , and they just simply are not there , only hinted at . The license system also ranks in as being a bit clunky . Its true that it really is a unique way of leveling up your character and his / her skills . But it really is set up awkwardly and is a offball way of preventing your characters from getting too powerful , too early . It works , nothing is saying that it doesn't , but its just odd to get some awesome weapon from a store , but no one can equip it because no one has it licensed yet nor has the points to do so . So you must sit on this awesome weapon until you kill enough enemies to get the license points to earn the right to use it . Its weird , it works , but its just something that could have been refined more . Overall , this is a solid , fun , entry in the Final Fantasy franchise , but there are a few bumps in the road in terms of story telling . The last great story to come along was Final Fantasy IX , which has fully developed , and fully likeable characters . Regardless , its not a purchase I regret making and it truly is a pleasure to roam the countryside and explore , get loot , kill enemies and see if I can track down the elusive hunts and rare game . Its more Dungeons and Dragons in that sense than it is any Final Fantasy game . Despite all that , its still a worthy addition and definitely worth a look .
• 286 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) For such a small price , I got 180 hours of enjoyment out of this , and that was only the first playthrough . So as far as bang for your buck , this is an interactive , epic story that will give you immense satisfaction , suspense , and joy for pennies an hour !
• 304 4  Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this ? ) This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I have been a big fan of the Final Fantasy series ever since I was reeled in by Final Fantasy VII for the Playstation 1 . The erasing of random battles and the use of the new Gambit system make for the best combat system yet . It's unbelievable just how big all of the environments are . The only downside to the game is the story isn't quite up to par compared to previous stories . If you are an RPG fan , you will definitely want to add this to your collection . If you are a Final Fantasy fan , you should already own a copy ! : )
• 305 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I have been a big fan of the Final Fantasy series ever since I was reeled in by Final Fantasy VII for the Playstation 1 . The erasing of random battles and the use of the new Gambit system make for the best combat system yet . It's unbelievable just how big all of the environments are . The only downside to the game is the story isn't quite up to par compared to previous stories . If you are an RPG fan , you will definitely want to add this to your collection . If you are a Final Fantasy fan , you should already own a copy ! : )
• 306 4  I have been a big fan of the Final Fantasy series ever since I was reeled in by Final Fantasy VII for the Playstation 1 . The erasing of random battles and the use of the new Gambit system make for the best combat system yet . It's unbelievable just how big all of the environments are . The only downside to the game is the story isn't quite up to par compared to previous stories . If you are an RPG fan , you will definitely want to add this to your collection . If you are a Final Fantasy fan , you should already own a copy ! : )
• 309 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game was long and hard , The way games are meant to be . This is onle of the longest games I have ever played for the PS2 , I am also supprised the game can hold all this on 1 Disc . Got me thinking of why Grandia III uses 2 Disc for such a short game . It starts out very slow at first then progressivley plays smoother as you level up and get through certain parts of the game . Well worth the $20 is cost now . Recommened for any RPG fan .
• 310 4  This game was long and hard , The way games are meant to be . This is onle of the longest games I have ever played for the PS2 , I am also supprised the game can hold all this on 1 Disc . Got me thinking of why Grandia III uses 2 Disc for such a short game . It starts out very slow at first then progressivley plays smoother as you level up and get through certain parts of the game . Well worth the $20 is cost now . Recommened for any RPG fan .


• Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) There are some games that have trouble moving forward over the years : either the type of game falls out of favor ( like Adventure games did for a while ) or the technology flies forward with no real way to adapt the old to the new . Worst of all , being a sequel that comes from a long line of sequels can bring massive amounts of excess baggage from the game's predecessors that can't ( or won't ) be jettisoned . Having played many an RPG , I'm very pleased to say that Final Fantasy XII navigates smoothly around all these troubles . It does an excellent job of focusing on what matters most : a rich Role-Playing Game experience that is also rather easy to use . Having tried their hand at just about every variation of the genre , Square Enix gives us this culmination of lessons learned , and the end product is immersive , beautiful , and fun . Players used to the Final Fantasy series are also accustomed to having unique and complex capabilities as far as HOW they play . If I were to start telling you about FFXII's Licenses , Gambits , Mists , and ESPers , chances are your head would spin - - it's deep stuff . In earlier titles like Final Fantasy VIII this was problematic : the way you handled abilities and magical creatures who help you and special boosts to your weapons and stats was complicated and hard to keep track of . Here however we have a smooth flow that slowly introduces you to the concepts and gives you a chance to try each one as you progress in the game . Gameplay elements are better organized and not as dependent on each other . Perhaps one of the best features in the game is Gambits : instead of manually managing every character's every action in every turn , you can apply a certain amount of intelligence to your characters using multiple rules that you create . This can easily be done . For example , you can have your healer heal anyone when their health falls below 40% . You can have a party member choose to attack the nearest enemies , or to focus on whichever enemy the leader is attacking . You can tell a magic using character to throw certain spells based on certain events . You can organize the Gambits to better automate actions : attack whatever the party leader is attacking . Failing that , just attack the nearest enemy . And with one tap of a button , you can override these behaviors at any time . Another excellent feature is Licenses . They represent a grid of all the possible skills a character can have , and they give you a seemingly infinite depth of choices for each player : no longer do you have to choose narrow character types , like Mage , Fighter , Healer . Instead you simply choose how to spend points you accumulate to pick skills , spells , and equipment for each . Naturally , this makes character mistakes easy to remedy , and it also means replaying the game can be a very different experience every time . There are other exciting features to the gameplay that would easily double the size of this review . . . so let's move on to the game elements themselves . Probably the only real limitation to this game is that it was crafted for the PlayStation 2 . Cutscenes are stunningly gorgeous , but while the in-game graphics are among the best the PS2 had to offer , this still means things look a bit blocky , edges jagged and detail a bit muddied . When you play , you will face loading screens that transition you from one area to another , but thankfully Square occasionally fills the gaps a bit with cinematic-style transition scenes . Moving through the story brings characters who come and go : some are guests you have no control over . Others join with you and become playable characters you can control . You even have allies who may change sides , and the next thing you know you're battling your own comerades in the fight to save the world . My only complaint in this area is that you are only allowed to take 3 of your characters out of the box at a time . You can change back and forth any time you like , even swapping out KO'd characters for live ones , but it would be a bit more fun for me if I could have 4 characters under my control instead of 3 . Things don't stop there : while we have gorgeous artwork , a beautifully orchestrated score , rich gameplay , and a complex system with an easy learning curve , we get the rest of the package , too : great writing . Interesting characters with diverse backgrounds , storylines that peg the dramatic moments and bring you along on the highs and lows of the story , drawing you in to a deep and at times very complicated plot . There are political alliances and shadow arrangments , with people shifting sides as the story goes along . If you're interested in the Final Fantasy series , Final Fantasy XII is about as good as the later titles get . If you're already familiar with the series from earlier titles , you might be pleasantly surprised at the amount of polish that has been put on this title . If you're completely new to the RPG genre , expect this to be fairly complicated : read the manual closely , pay attention to tutorials , and do a little reading online to immerse yourself . I doubt you'll be disappointed .
• 047 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game was such a disappointment . The FF series has always been a staple RPG to own with its high quality storytelling and engaging battle systems . Not every FF has met these quality standards ( I have played FF4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , and 10 ) , but XII fails so miserably . It truly is a game to be avoided despite the name attached . The gameplay : I actually like to play a game , not just set up gambits and have the computer play for me . For most battles , you can just leave the room and you'll still win . How exciting . It's a system that was a good idea but could've used a lot more tweaking . The license board was also a poorly executed idea . So all the characters can do all the same things ? Okay ! Summons were pointless and useless that take over your team members and die too quickly . The story / world : This is where the game absolutely falls apart . All the characters are flat and boring . Only one character actually has a reason to be in the group , and all the others just tag along for no reason at all or reasons that are shunted to the side quickly . The characters aren't developed either ; they have maybe one personality trait and that's it . The worst being Penelo . Why is she there ? What does she do ? How many lines does she get in the game besides the epilogue ? It seems she was just added to meet the 3 girls in the party thing Square has going . Everyone knows a good story is created by round characters , but unfortunately , its seems Square missed the memo . In fact , the most interesting characters are the villains ! The plot all happens away from you . So while you're wandering through some cave for some artifact , the plot and intrigue happens to other characters . Why they didn't make those characters the main ones , who knows ? The world was also a poorly developed world . There was no excitement going to a new city . No city evoked the power of Midgar , the coolness of going to the Moon , the creepiness of a ghost train , or the technological wonder of Esther . It was a boring world that didn't make me want to explore it . The Deadlands was the most interesting part , and it was optional and not developed like it should have , and not as creepy as it could've been . Graphics : Yes , the graphics were amazing . But I felt the FMVs were pointless . I can't recall a single FMV scene off the top of my head . I can certainly remember Aeris being stabbed , Rinoa in space , the water scene of X , but here , nothing . Maybe it's because there was no scene that provoked the feelings those others did . Sound : Unremarkable and not rememberable . Enough said . Oh , but I did actually enjoy the voice acting . I found each character's voice fit and was pretty spot on in emoting . In conclusion , rent this game first before buying . Others liked it , and so might you . I , however , felt Square has taken a big step back . I wish Square would concentrate on story again rather than on graphics . Graphics do not a great game make . Look at FFVII and VI , terrible ( nowadays ) graphics , but both are wonderful games that stand the test of time . If you are looking for an excellent RPG , then try Shadow Hearts : Covenant and Shadow Hearts . There are games with great characters , witty dialogue , and set during pre-WWI with a supernatural side .
• 133 4  This game is probably the best in terms of graphics and storyline , but some of the other features ( such as the battle system ) leave much to be desired . In fact , the battle system is probably the most BORING part of the game . It reminds me of the original Dot Hack game series ' battle system . . . which is just as boring . The bad thing about this game though is that you'll be fighting most of the time due to the game's new system for obtaining money ( along w / new items , equipment , etc . of course ) AND because of this game's achievement system . . . which is a tragedy considering that it's a Final Fantasy game .
• 147 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) Started playing this game again recently , and it is still as enjoyable as it was when it first came out . I still get distracted by the Hunts and sidequests . The only thing that I still don't like is the fact that the characters stats will pretty much be the same because of the License Board . Sure , one may have a bit more magick power , or higher strength , but in the end , you can use the same 3 characters and never really have the need to switch them out . Other than that , excellent graphics , great story , great voice acting , great game .
• 148 4  Started playing this game again recently , and it is still as enjoyable as it was when it first came out . I still get distracted by the Hunts and sidequests . The only thing that I still don't like is the fact that the characters stats will pretty much be the same because of the License Board . Sure , one may have a bit more magick power , or higher strength , but in the end , you can use the same 3 characters and never really have the need to switch them out . Other than that , excellent graphics , great story , great voice acting , great game .
• 149 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) The storyline was difficult to follow . This is because the dialect / dialogue was difficult to understand / comprhend what the characters were saying , and subsequently , what was going on . Other than that , great RPG action and cutomability . Huge worlds to explore , monsters to vaquish . Great strategy .
• 150 4  The storyline was difficult to follow . This is because the dialect / dialogue was difficult to understand / comprhend what the characters were saying , and subsequently , what was going on . Other than that , great RPG action and cutomability . Huge worlds to explore , monsters to vaquish . Great strategy .
• 159 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) I have played almost every Final Fantasy since the very first one for the NES . When I first purchased this game , I was looking forward to not being able to put it down . I find myself putting it down for a week at a time . Not standard Final Fantasy for me . The game itself is amazing . The battle system , the license system , the gambits , and the side quests are the best yet . The story on the other hand was not very good . At times I would continue the story just so I could have more hunts added . I did not dislike the story all together , but it was very boring and I honestly did not care what happened to the characters . One thing lacking was a main character . I missed that stand out main character from VII , VIII , X , or even X - 2 . You could play as any one of these characters and it did not matter . Others have knocked the license system for not having a certain class for each character . I thought this was a wonderful addition . You can customize each character the way you want and still give them the best weapons of the game and not just one specific weapon you have to jump through hoops to get . All in all this is a good game , but I play Final Fantasy for the story and this one falls a little short .
• 180 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) One play through of FF12 will leave most gamers understanding what five years of development can cause for a game . In Final Fantasy 12 ' s case , the result is a mammoth product that which requires more play hours than possibly even some MMORPG's for casual gamers . But aside from the numerous tasks for the player's enjoyment , FF12 has an underlying feel of perfection and caliber that which almost all of the last games on the PS2 will not come close to . Take for example the detail put into the graphics on screen and the animations of the very townsfolk in all of the towns . It is rare to see a game feature towns full of people doing so many different things besides just walking around and waiting for you to talk to them . Now it feels as if almost all of the NPCs in a select location have their own personalities and daily going-ons besides waiting for some strange person to approach them and start a conversation . And going back to the graphics - the graphics in FF12 are superb . The art form is not the same as it was on say FF10 , but the solid rendering and work that has gone into making the very real time gaming action is just unaccustomed for most games . Just by looking at this , you can tell it is a Final Fantasy game and not some run of the mill RPG put out by another company . The action itself is probably what most gamers will have something to say about . The Active Dimension Battle System causes the player to break away from the standard turn based action of yesterday RPGs and adapt a more real time approach , similar to that of the systems employed by most MMORPGs these days . The only difference in FF12 is that the player still has to select commands from menus and wait for attacks to finish charging . It is an evolution for the standard Final Fantasy game , and it is a welcome one as well . While some conventions are not as well addressed as they were in FF10 ( summons , HP and damage limits ) , the game manages to do enough to make one feel that this is easily the future for Final Fantasy and RPGs in general . Other parts of the game play feel a little worn out and annoying however . The treasure chest system for the most part will leave many players feeling annoyed and tired after having to come to understand the sheer randomness of the treasures . And that is just what it is , the chests are placed randomly on the map and their contents are based on random probabilities . Some of them do not even reappear once opened , so players may have to reset the game and keep opening the chest until they get what they want . Another time waster like the treasure chest system is the Bazaar system , which requires the player to kill numerous monsters to get particular items that the monsters drop upon death . The chance of the monster dropping it is again based on random probability . Once the item is obtained , the player has to sell it to vendors and hope to figure out the right combination of items to make the vendors sell a superior item in the Bazaar . And sadly , some of the more powerful weapons in the game are only obtainable through the bazaar . And the game's random drop probability does not just end with the sell-able items . Some of the better weapons and armor can only be obtained from random monster drops . And to complicate this even more , some of those random drops come from hard to find randomly appearing monsters ! While it is too late now to make a change of this , it is easy to see that in future Final Fantasy games , Square-Enix could do more to change the way powerful items are obtained rather than using tired old MMORPG time eater tricks . The last thing to touch upon is probably the sound . While some of the songs could use to be longer and the casting for the voice actors is questionable on some parts , for the most part , the game puts on a very satisfying performance . Final Fantasy 12 is a unique experience , but it is also a long one . In order to completely complete this game , one will have to brace for at least 150 hours of play time ; and that is just a light estimate . 200 hours is more likely for those who do not use game guides , so be prepared for a unique experience that is unlike any RPG you have played before .
• 223 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) This game has fantastic graphics , and hours of available gameplay . Unfortunately , it really doesn't have much more than that . I really think they were over-compensating for all of the complaints they received about Final Fantasy X ( which was a great game in my opinion ) . Final Fantasy X was great , but pretty linear . The plot was fantastic , but you didn't do much outside of the plot . This game , in contrast , is almost entirely sidequests . They never have any character development whatsoever , so even if Dalmasca or whatever wins , you really don't care all that much . The actual game then isn't that good . Speaking of the actual game , the battle system is incredibly ill conceived . Other reviews state that eventually all of the characters become the same . A more accurate way of putting this is that within a few hours of getting a new character , they will be exactly the same as all of the rest of your characters . You spend the game rotating in and out a team of 6 pretty much identical fighters . The graphics are great , but sometimes it's hard to follow what's going on on the screen itself given it's new and improved battle engine . Really , it helps to just follow everything on the mini-map , which pretty much means that you can and will play a significant amount of the game as a small triangle trying to find little dots on a circle . I'm sure on the main screen there are beautiful cities , landscapes , and monsters to look at , but really you just follow the action on the mini-map . Not only that , but with the gambit system , they've taken all of the hard or strategic things out of the fighting . The game tells you that you should give each character a specialty and have them use teamwork . This is a lie . Fairly quickly , it's easy to devise a system that works on minimal input from the player , so really you ( the triangle ) , will really just go towards dots ( the enemies ) and then the game will figure out how to fight them for you . Occasionally you'll have something manual to do like run away or rotate out a character , which means that throughout the entire battle you are looking at a ) the mini map and b ) your stats . This wouldn't be a problem except that fighting monsters is something like 95% of the game . You get tasks , you level up to beat the next big monster , you fight the monster , repeat . Occasionally there is some kind of plot that you're supposed to be paying attention to , but it really all blends together . I should also note that I really wanted to like this game . I love the Final Fantasy series in general ! This game was just awful though .
• 254 4  This review is from : Final Fantasy XII ( Video Game ) There are some games that have trouble moving forward over the years : either the type of game falls out of favor ( like Adventure games did for a while ) or the technology flies forward with no real way to adapt the old to the new . Worst of all , being a sequel that comes from a long line of sequels can bring massive amounts of excess baggage from the game's predecessors that can't ( or won't ) be jettisoned . Having played many an RPG , I'm very pleased to say that Final Fantasy XII navigates smoothly around all these troubles . It does an excellent job of focusing on what matters most : a rich Role-Playing Game experience that is also rather easy to use . Having tried their hand at just about every variation of the genre , Square Enix gives us this culmination of lessons learned , and the end product is immersive , beautiful , and fun . Players used to the Final Fantasy series are also accustomed to having unique and complex capabilities as far as HOW they play . If I were to start telling you about FFXII's Licenses , Gambits , Mists , and ESPers , chances are your head would spin - - it's deep stuff . In earlier titles like Final Fantasy VIII this was problematic : the way you handled abilities and magical creatures who help you and special boosts to your weapons and stats was complicated and hard to keep track of . Here however we have a smooth flow that slowly introduces you to the concepts and gives you a chance to try each one as you progress in the game . Gameplay elements are better organized and not as dependent on each other . Perhaps one of the best features in the game is Gambits : instead of manually managing every character's every action in every turn , you can apply a certain amount of intelligence to your characters using multiple rules that you create . This can easily be done . For example , you can have your healer heal anyone when their health falls below 40% . You can have a party member choose to attack the nearest enemies , or to focus on whichever enemy the leader is attacking . You can tell a magic using character to throw certain spells based on certain events . You can organize the Gambits to better automate actions : attack whatever the party leader is attacking . Failing that , just attack the nearest enemy . And with one tap of a button , you can override these behaviors at any time . Another excellent feature is Licenses . They represent a grid of all the possible skills a character can have , and they give you a seemingly infinite depth of choices for each player : no longer do you have to choose narrow character types , like Mage , Fighter , Healer . Instead you simply choose how to spend points you accumulate to pick skills , spells , and equipment for each . Naturally , this makes character mistakes easy to remedy , and it also means replaying the game can be a very different experience every time . There are other exciting features to the gameplay that would easily double the size of this review . . . so let's move on to the game elements themselves . Probably the only real limitation to this game is that it was crafted for the PlayStation 2 . Cutscenes are stunningly gorgeous , but while the in-game graphics are among the best the PS2 had to offer , this still means things look a bit blocky , edges jagged and detail a bit muddied . When you play , you will face loading screens that transition you from one area to another , but thankfully Square occasionally fills the gaps a bit with cinematic-style transition scenes . Moving through the story brings characters who come and go : some are guests you have no control over . Others join with you and become playable characters you can control . You even have allies who may change sides , and the next thing you know you're battling your own comerades in the fight to save the world . My only complaint in this area is that you are only allowed to take 3 of your characters out of the box at a time . You can change back and forth any time you like , even swapping out KO'd characters for live ones , but it would be a bit more fun for me if I could have 4 characters under my control instead of 3 . Things don't stop there : while we have gorgeous artwork , a beautifully orchestrated score , rich gameplay , and a complex system with an easy learning curve , we get the rest of the package , too : great writing . Interesting characters with diverse backgrounds , storylines that peg the dramatic moments and bring you along on the highs and lows of the story , drawing you in to a deep and at times very complicated plot . There are political alliances and shadow arrangments , with people shifting sides as the story goes along . If you're interested in the Final Fantasy series , Final Fantasy XII is about as good as the later titles get . If you're already familiar with the series from earlier titles , you might be pleasantly surprised at the amount of polish that has been put on this title . If you're completely new to the RPG genre , expect this to be fairly complicated : read the manual closely , pay attention to tutorials , and do a little reading online to immerse yourself . I doubt you'll be disappointed .
• 283 4  I know the new battle system is either love or hate but if you are willing to try something new then it will grow on you . The deletion of random battles is also a wonderful thing . The ability to have any of your party fulfill any role ( heals , damage , tanks ) is great . With tons of hidden gear and some extremely satisfying boss battles and hunts , it's a fun experience . The characters were original and very memorable . I loved the complete package , it's a mix of Tactics and Traditional RPG . For those of us who have been playing this series since its inception , its quite a refreshing take .