"The Flawless End of an Era"

Looking back over the Playstation 2's lifespan, there really hasn't been much going on in the Final Fantasy front. First, there was FF X, which received a perfect score from the ruthless Famitsu magazine, followed by an extremely unorthodox (and somewhat uninspired) sequel FF X-2. Then there was the MMORPG FF XI, which was, to say the least a very strange entry in the saga of Final Fantasy. However, it seems that Square has saved the best for last, and I can't help but wonder if they haven't been working up to this since the release of FF VII.

STORY
Perhaps Final Fantasy XII's greatest asset lies in its story. Bucking the conventional trend of “amnesiac teenager with giant sword saves world from effeminate super-villain”, Square has opted to go for a more mature approach. I know a lot of people will take that previous statement as a jab at FF7, but it's not that I don't like that game, I'm just sick of seeing the same plot time and again.

You play as Vaan, a blonde teenager (well, that was one cliche they couldn't get away from) who was orphaned during a war with an invading nation. Eventually he gets caught up in a rebellion against the Archadian Empire while trying to restore the rightful heir to the Dalmascan throne. You'll eventually find out that your ultimate enemy isn't some unholy monster, but something much more sinister and diabolical; a politician. Along the way to the games conclusion you'll encounter enough conspiracies, double-crosses and militaristic take-overs to fill a few Tom Clancy novels.

GRAPHICS
For as long as the PS2 has been out, I would have guessed that its limitations had been reached a long time ago. Shows what I know…

The environments in the game are absolutely gorgeous, and many possess a distinctly Mediterranean feel. The cities feel as though Square hired a few architects to come in and design, and the myriad caves, deserts and forests you travel through all manage to have their own unique qualities, which serves to alleviate the boredom that usually sets in when level grinding. For instance, in the beginning you'll explore two deserts, yet neither is even remotely like the other. One is filled with sandy dunes and scrub, the other looks like a barren wasteland. It's just a small detail that goes a long way to enhance the quality of the game.

The character models are no less impressive. It may be surprising, but I think there may be more detail on the main characters than on some I've seen in Xbox 360 games. And even if facial expressions aren't always spot on, the developers have done a great job of making the characters express themselves through body language, so it eventually feels as though you are running around with real people. Not an easy feat by any means.

SOUND
As always, the music always manages to set the mood perfectly, from the quirky and upbeat tunes you'll hear when shopping in the market, to the fast paced anthems that play during the games more intense moments. The signature tune that plays after winning a fight has been cleverly remixed, but now only plays after difficult battles, so you won't get sick of hearing it two hours into the game.

The character voices are also top-notch and Square seems to have put a lot of effort into finding actors whose voices fit the characters. As can be expected, this adds the critical element of personal connection with your party members and being immersed in the story. However, there are a few laughable slip-ups with the voice actors. First and foremost, whenever referencing the Marquis, every character mispronounces it (by saying the silent “s”). And there is a least one occasion where someone mispronounces a character's name only to say it correctly a few seconds later. While these problems don't really do anything to hurt the game, they definitely caused me to wonder just what the editing staff was doing at times.

GAMEPLAY
While the core gameplay concepts remain the same as every other Final Fantasy (proceed from area to area, getting stronger as you learn what's going on in the world), there have been a few key changes this time around.

With the first long awaited change, random encounters have finally been eliminated. Now, enemies appear onscreen just as you will fight them. There is no transition to a battle screen, so wherever you encounter an enemy, that's exactly where you'll be fighting. To make things even better, Square has finally done away with the ancient turn-based combat system. Now, it is a fast paced real time affair that involves a great deal of strategy and foresight. A key part of this new scheme is the Gambit system, which allows you to completely automate your character's actions. While this may sound like you won't have to actually participate in the combat that couldn't be further from the truth.

For instance, you may set a characters Gambits to allow him to attack and use special techniques, but not use support or curative magic. However, if said character has purchased the required License Board spot, and you have the magic, you can make him cure himself when it is needed. Basically, you automate the unimportant things so you can focus on the more complicated strategies. And Gambits are by no means as simple as the example presented above. There are an infinite number of variations you can create, such as having a character with less than 20 percent health automatically use cure, or protect. You can make a Gambit that allows a character to automatically use a certain type of magic on a target that is weak against it. This pretty much allows you to customize a set of actions for any situation you'll encounter.

Another element of combat is the Quickening. Basically amounting to a glorified limit break, with a few key differences. The first is that using a Quickening will entirely drain your MP gauge. However, the interesting thing is by unlocking multiple Quickenings on the License Board (each character has three) your MP gauge will double, then triple and the attacks will become more powerful. This also means that you will be able to cast more magic in combat. The second difference is that a Quickening isn't just a single attack; every character in your party can get in on it. And, depending on how fast you can press buttons, each character may be able to attack multiple times, meaning what was once an attack for 500HP, can effectively reach into the thousands.

Another thing that is worth mentioning are the summons, called Espers. While it will take a while for you to get your first (and even longer to get your second), you'll soon realize that, like everything else in the game, what was once a familiar tool is now entirely different. First and foremost, none of the typical summons are here. There is no Ifrit, no Shiva, no Bahamut. Still, the new group manages to be more awesome than anything in the history of the series. And, like your party members, a summons comes equipped with its own Gambits, that determine how it attacks. In essence, you lose two party members to make room for one large, really tough one.

As is to be expected, combat is absolutely necessary to get through the game, but now it serves more of a purpose than just gaining experience. Now you'll gain License Points (LP) which will be used to unlock new abilities that make your character stronger. In addition to that, you'll gain lots of loot, which will be sold for the money necessary to buy equipment, spells, Gambits and combat techniques.

The LP you gain will be used on the License Board. Unlike any other Final Fantasy, the player is now given the freedom to create any kind of characters they want, without being shoehorned into one set purpose for each character. Basically the License Board is divided into two large groups, one consisting of weapons and armor, the other made up of magic, accessories, combat techniques and Augments (things such as extra HP, damage and magic boosts, as well as added effects to things such as Remedies). While most of the board is blank, meaning that you'll never know exactly what lies beyond the next tile, each time you unlock a piece of the License board, all its adjacent pieces will become unlocked. As I mentioned before, the novelty of the License Board lies in the fact that you can create pretty much any type of character that you want. Want a front-line fighter with black magic? How about an archer in heavy armor? Whatever you want, you can make. Hell, if you're one of those really dedicated players, you can even unlock the entire board for every character, meaning you'll have a group of unstoppable killing machines.

THE VERDICT
While there seems to be a lot of mixed feelings about this game, you really only need to ask yourself one question? Are you ready for an entirely new RPG experience? If you are indeed ready, it still might be best to give this one a rent before buying it, simply because the changes made may prove to be a bit overwhelming for some. But in my book, it's one of the best RPG's I've ever played. Perfect score, no questions asked.

HIGHS
- Amazing graphics
- More mature story
- Interesting characters
- Fully customizable character abilities

LOWS
- The License Board is a little unorganized

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/22/08, Updated 10/03/08

Game Release: Final Fantasy XII (US, 10/31/06)