Final Fantasy XII Review

Four years after the release of Final Fantasy X-2 and Final Fantasy XI, a new game in the famous saga was released: Final Fantasy XII. The new game differs in many ways from the old traditions of previous Final Fantasys. This isn't to say that the game isn't one of the better Final Fantasys ever to be released. No, that statement is far away from the truth. This video game embodies many of the best principles of a Role Playing Game.

The biggest difference with this game is the battle system. The battle system has become more real-time than the past versions of Final Fantasy. In this game, the battles are run without entering a special "screen" for each separate battle. You encounter enemies and fight them on the same screen. Luckily, the player may still switch between party leaders and may still give the other members of the three-person party commands.

The new battle system leads to a completely different concept for the actions of your party members. This system is called the "gambit" system. It's quite simple, actually. The player, as a human being, can only control one character at a time because of the new real-time battle system. Therefore, because of this, your other characters, without this gambit system would just sit and watch the enemy and await a command. The creators of Final Fantasy apparently didn't like that idea, because the gambit system works almost like a set of "commands" to give to your other party members that allows them to act as their own person even when not given a play-by-play of specific commands.

As another difference, this game now employs a new system for gaining abilities. This system is called the licensing system. This system includes a large grid with over two-hundred squares. Each of these squares represents certain abilities, techniques, or spells. After each kill of a monster, your characters will earn "license points". These points can be put towards mastering the abilities placed on each of these individual squares. Until your character has learned the license, the character can not perform the ability. An annoyance with this system is the fact that, unlike past Final Fantasys, you have to go to shops and purchase the abilities, spells, and techniques. The spells and techniques are usually quite expensive so many times throughout the game the player may find themselves without much spare money.

The plot of the game also goes past Final Fantasy's set boundaries. This is the first Final Fantasy game where the one main female character and the one main male character do not share a romantic interest. To be honest, from what I've seen, the two characters, Vaan and Ashe, barely wish to speak to one another. Another big plot change is the fact that this game is really involved in explaining the characteristics of the war that the characters have found themselves involved with. The past versions of this game have just allowed the story to progress around the vague explanation of "saving the world". This game goes into the detail about the war and fighting factions of the country.

The graphics of the game really push the boundaries that the PlayStation 2 console was meant to produce. The actual gameplay looks gorgeous, but it's still obvious that this is a game and not a movie. The cutscenes, however, almost seem like a realistic movie. The voices of the characters match their personas - in fact, I'd say that facet of the game is flawless. My only complaint is of the music Square Enix chose to use on the game. Most of the music is easily recognizable as just remixed versions of past Final Fantasys.

In conclusion, I would recommend this game to any role playing game lover. This game pushes the boundaries of the PlayStation2. Although it may seem like a horrible game at first, the more you play this game, the more the game will happen to grow on you. The new battle system is difficult to get used to in the beginning of the game, but as the story progresses, you'll find that you like the battle system more and more. I can honestly see this game becoming a greatest hit title.