Final Fantasy XII

Customer Reviews:

They did it right this time!
Everything about this game is amazing. The story is wonderful! I keep finding myself wanting to know what's going to happen next! All the characters are very likeable too, which hasn't really happened in a Final Fantasy game since FFIV. And the combat system! They finally made it fun! No more random encounters/turn-based nastiness! The voice acting is even up to snuff in the game! A much larger improvement over FFX. In my opinion, the only bad thing about this game would be the wait I had to go through before it came out!
--2006-12-19

The Long Road to Archadia
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

--2006-12-18

Empty Game
I love Final Fantasy. Even though I had only played IX,X, and X-2, I still thought I had a decent grasp of the series, and that FF games were always the embodiment of excellence. I've changed my mind. I believe that in any form of entertainment, the story is the heart and soul. If that is true, then FF X-II is a zombie. A beautiful, souless zombie. Are the gods of Final Fantasy trying to compete with contemporary American cinema? 10 million dollar budget for special effects, 5 bucks to some preschooler to write the story? We can only hope this was a fluke, that before X-III is released they will come to thier senses.
--2006-12-18

I tried to like it...really
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.
--2006-12-18

The Best Final Fantasy to Grace the Playstation 2
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.
--2006-12-17

- Square Enix