Final Fantasy 12 (PS2) goes public 10/31/06

According to all previews I've read, this FF is set to be one of the best, most 'mature' FF games yet. This IGN review has a very complete description of what players can expect from this game. I'll quote the opening paragraphs:



The article goes on to say that "Conceptualist and scenario plotter, Yasumi Mitsuno (Vagrant Story, Tactics Ogre) really outdid himself by capturing the elements of storytelling that TV shows like Lost and 24 have built a following on..." It's definitely worth a read if you're a fan of the FF series; of particular note is the new combat system, the license board (similar to the sphere grid from FFX), and the new "gambit" system (which allows the player to set up automatic condition:reaction responses for their characters- a valuable aid considering the new combat system).

Final Fantasy 12's MSRP is $49.99 and hits the shelves on Halloween. It looks like it'll be well worth the wait.

I have played almost every Final Fantasy game, and in some ways this one seems like the best yet. While the battle system is quite a bit different, it still has the same level of depth of any other Final Fantasy game.

There is A LOT to explore in the game, and it is not nearly as linear as previous games in the series. There are so many side quests that open up very early in the game, I am about twelve hours and I have not even begun to explore every thing that has been open to me since very early on.

You can certainly see a great deal of influence from both the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars in the character designs and environments, and while I have not progressed very far in the story yet it certainly seems like it has the potential to get very interesting.

And like all recent Final Fantasy games the graphics are absolutely gorgeous, in fact they are the best I have seen on PS2 and are better than most XBOX 360 games. Not only are the graphics beautiful in a technical sense, they are beautiful in an artistic sense as well. This game is a true work of art, and anyone who enjoys RPGs or adventure games should really pick it up.

I've heard it's like the combat system used in Kingdom Hearts; is that true? The turn-based combat system is the thing that's kept me out of the FF series so far.

Yes it is somewhat like Kingdom Hearts, but there are so many more options. The menus are still there but you don't have to use them nearly as often, as you can set it up so your character will automatically act a certain way in given situations, and you only have to use the menu if you want them to act differently.

If you enjoyed Kingdom Hearts, but want much deeper gameplay then definately pick this one up

It's rare when any game is objectively able to live up to its prerelease hype. I remember Molyneaux's (sp?) famous pronouncement that Fable would be the 'best RPG ever made' (which, if it ever was, was easily displaced by Oblivion).

Square Enix's Final Fantasy 12 does all that and more besides. Visually stunning, FFXII shows off some of the very best artwork seen yet in a PS2 game. Coming at the end of that system's lifecycle, it comes as something of a surprise that Square would put forth such effort into a game for what is, arguably, a dying console (not to say that there aren't great PS2 games out there; merely that the console is already being displaced by newer hardware). That said, The environments in FFXII are definitely fully-realized, with superb architecture, sprawling vistas, and a plethora of dark, creepy caves. Everything seems designed with how an actual layout for each environment might be in the real world; cities don't 'automatically make sense', and the exterior, landscape environments are satisfyingly organically built.

The mechanics of this game are something else to be enthused about. Programmable characters (through the use of purchasable condition:reaction setups known as gambits) make the new realtime combat system intriguing and engaging rather than completely unplayable, as such a system could easily have been. Players of the PC's Guild Wars, or perhaps World of Warcraft, will immediately be comfortable with this system, while traditional FF fans will note the inclusion of the character's turn timer bar. These systems work in seamless conjunction to allow more immersion in each battle than any previous Final Fantasy game.

Another innovation to Final Fantasy 12 is something called the License Board. Reminiscent of the Sphere Grid from Final Fantasy 10, the License Board allows the player to purchase additional abilities, spells, and summons (in this game, Espers) to aid in the characters' quests and battles. The license board contains every spell and ability in the game, but be warned: you have to have the license for each and every one of them to use them, whether you've bought the weapon, spell, or ability from a merchant or not. And interesting fact not obviously mentioned is that the license board will tell you whether you have a corresponding spell, weapon, or accessory in your inventory by displaying the name of the item in white (when selecting an unpurchased license from the board) rather than grayed out. In this way, the player can easily determine which licenses he should buy and which he should wait on until the appropriate item, spell, or whatnot is in his inventory. In all, it would cost over 13,000 points to buy everything on the License Board, making for a truly incredible level of character customization.

Enemies in Final Fantasy 12 are equally varied, and all of them, from your average, annoying Giza Rabbit to the harrowing optional Espers, are unique in their artwork and animation. Even familiar creatures from previous Final Fantasy games are redone; the Moogles, for example, now have long, rabbit-type ears- but don't let these design tweaks fool you: Final Fantasy 12 is, visually speaking, the best-looking Final Fantasy yet.

Add to all this a charming musical score with memorable tunes and storytelling equal in depth to any popular television drama you care to mention, along with some of the very best voice acting in any RPG across any and all consoles to date, character animation that (for once) comes across as natural, a huge tree of side quests and creature hunts, all set in a magical but decidedly modern world gamers can actually relate to, and you have what is without a doubt the best PS2 RPG this year.

Your PS2 library is not complete until you own Final Fantasy XII.