Final Fantasy XII (PS2)

Reviewed by Kit

So today we're going to review a game that probably most people have heard about in some way or another by now. That is, if you can't read the post's title, Final Fantasy XII. It is the latest installment of the Final Fantasy series that borrows a lot of things from the previous versions. I'm tempted to list these all down, but maybe in a separate post later, as there will be spoilers (maybe). Anyhow, let's get it on.

Story: The country of Dalmasca has recently wed its Princess to the Prince of Nabudis. Shortly after their marriage, the Prince is called to war because the empire has invaded his home land. Basch, loyal warrior of Dalamsca, fights by his side, only to see an arrow kill the Prince. Sucks for Princess Ashe. Shortly thereafter, the empire invades Dalamasca, attempting to force the people to sign a peace treaty allowing the empire to control them. You, as Reks, Vaan's(main character) brother, witness basch stabbing the king and Reks. Skip to two years later where Vaan and his childhood friend Penelo are living in the capital of Dalmasca, stealing things and trying to survive. The empire has taken over the kingdom. Skip some scenes and missions, Vann meets up with a pair of sky pirates with huge bounties on their heads. Balthier and Fran, one of the few Viera(bunnygirl) you'll meet, just want to steal things and have a good time, but like Vaan they get caught up in the politcal intrigues that are happening. And there is ever so much political intrigue. It's good plot, one that keeps you entertained, but I don't think it's always one that makes you want to push forward (except to discover if the character you think will betray does). 4/5

Graphics: Yes, these are compeltely and utterly breathtaking. The environments are 3D immersive, so you can just rotate your R-stick all around and admire the fine details. The characters look beautiful in game and in FMV (OMG the FMV). Weapons and shields all have their own design, and you can see them as soon as the character equips them. 5/5

Audio: Important scenes have voice acting, and you have the option on subtitles if you want (it's fun to notice the difference in the subtitle and the spoken words). The voice acting is very very good. For the most part the actors are not well known, so you won't be spending every moment they talk attempting to pinpoint where theyr'e from. A lot of the actors are also British, and much like Dragon Quest VIII, this is a good move. The music in the game is good. It is well suited for the areas you are in. A lot of it reminds me of music from the previous games, and the load screen music is a clear tribute to the Final Fantasy Theme from FFIV. 5/5

Gameplay: I think this is where it is hit or miss, at least in terms of the gambit system. Some people like it, some people don't. After some time in the game you are introduced to this system where you are given gambits which will control the actions of your characters. Of course if you want you can turn them off and manually control your characters, but that would be a bit difficult. You'll find that at important fights you'll most likely change the gambits you have to completely new ones. Besides the gambit system, there is also the license board to be explored. This is similar to the sphere grid from FFX with much more freedom. You use License points to buy the ability to use certain equipment, abilities, or augmentations. (Though, as noted in VGCats.com, you really have to question a society where the people can't wear hats without licenses. Is the beauracracy really that powerful?) This allows for almost complete customization of your characters. You want Penelo to be a mage user with staffs and light light armor? Go for it! You want Fran to master every weapon? It's possible with enough time. Also you can learn abilities known as quickenings, which when used in battle bring up a special attack which you can chain with other party member attacks. If you do enough of these then you will bring out a finishing ability, which despite the fact looks elemental is not in any way. All monsters are on the screen, and you can avoid them if you want. There are also monsters that appear that will not aggro you, unless you do the one thing that annoys them. Some aggro if you attack any monster in their vicinity. Some if you cast magic (bewares thelementals). And some only notice you if you poke them with your tiny sword. There is no gil drops in battle, at least not normally. Instead you'll get loot from monsters which you sell for money. Often you'll find this does not give you nearly the amount of money that you need as you ahve to buy weapons, armor, items, spells, and techniques. By selling these items to the shop, you will unlock bazaar goods, which usually require certain types of loot to make. Finally there are hunts. These are bosslike monsters that you kill for a person's special request. you will receive money and items for this, as well as increase your clan rank. 4/5

Replay: While the plot will remain the same, you can customize your characters differently the next time around. It's worth looking into. 4/5

Overall: I'll admit it, I wasn't expecting much from this game when I picked it up. I was pleasantly surprised. It's a solid game with interesting characters (I am such a Balthier fan girl now) The gambit system could use a bit more tweaking, but otherwise I have few complaints. My characters are constantly broke, and I have lots of spells I still need to buy, but it's not too big a deal. I enjoy the game, I enjoy the plot, and I enjoy watching Balthier talk in the cutscenes. If you like FF this is a good one to pick up. It's probably one of the better ones in years, and it has lots of references to the older games (yeah, expect a post about that at some later point). 5/5