Final Fantasy XII

Finally a new release in the Final Fantasy series which is fresh and outperforms 2001's Final Fantasy X. Final Fantasy XII is a welcome change which has had the combat revamped and graphics reworked to produce a game which is cutting-edge but still maintains the Final Fantasy look and feel. Characters are unique, game play is longer, graphics are supreme, and the storyline is solid.

The main stream story line of Final Fantasy XII borrows a little from predecessor games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and blends the fantasy nature in to create an outer space/fantasy mix which works for this game. The main location is Ivalice where strange creatures wander the streets along with humans. Ivalice has been taken over by the Archadian Empire, and the mission is to free the country of Dalmasca and it's residents. During game play, you learn about the history of Ivalice, forces manipulating play, and more about the characters themselves. Watching the story line unfold, and discovering the true intentions of the evil empire is paired with excellent cut scenes and meaningful dialogues.

The main characters of Final Fantasy XII are the usual unlikely pairings for a Final Fantasy series. The main hero is Vaan who is your basic hero type, and although he does appear slightly effeminent, he is capable and a good leader for the gang. His tag-a-long friend Penelo gets dragged into everything with him, which is expected for a good friend. The most interesting character to present himself in the game by far is Balthier, a Han Solo type pirate who is very smooth and suave with his interactions. Balthier has a side-kick named Fran who is a serious and attractive even with her rabbit ears. A stubborn princess and the disgraced captain of the Dalmasca army round out the lead roles. Other characters pop in the story line as needed to move it along and keep things interesting.

The main differences between Final Fantasy XII and its predecessors is the combat. You now have the advantage of spotting your enemies before you battle them either on the handy map, or on the battlefield itself. Combat action now is streamlined in with exploration and the game flows very well between the two. The halt of play to participate in a battle is simply not there any longer which is a plus. On the minus side, due to the integration of battles with game exploration, the battles themselves have been downsized when compared to previous games. Enemies are still bigger and fierce-some looking, but your view of them will be at the characters eye level for some of the larger ones.

Combat also involves more strategy than in previous video games. More planning is involved to determine which characters get what weapons, and to what extent each character needs to be equipped. Players can also give pre-defined standing orders to the individual characters specifically for battle which is called gambit programming. For example, if any enemy is down to critical health, you can program your characters to attack them first and finish them off. You can have a character automatically attack the closest enemy. You can have healing spells kick in when needed for your characters. As you build your gambits for play, you'll eventually have all your battle bases covered to win with little effort on your part. Your characters will simply know what to do and take care of business on their own.

All battle gear and magical spells can only be used if the player obtains a license to use the item. With every foe defeated, the character earns points which can be used to purchase the license to unlock the weapon, or use the magic spell. Characters start off with a small collection of abilities and equipment. All of the more interesting and useful items are purchased through the license venue.

Final Fantasy XII delivers excellent game play in every category. Soundtrack, graphics, character interactions, and overall cohesion of the story are all tied up in a very impressive addition to the series. Add this one to your must-play list.

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