Final Fantasy 12
Review of Final Fantasy 12
Final Fantasy XII is the next installment in the legendary Role Playing Game (RPG) series Final Fantasy. In RPGs you play as a main character who meets up with other characters and unravels a story. Other examples of RPGs are Xenosaga, Legend of Dragoons, Grandia, Kingdom Hearts,etc. Each game in the Final Fantasy series has hours upon hours of exciting gameplay and a unique storyline which has captured the hearts of many gamers. But will Final Fantasy XII live up to all the hype?
In this game your main character is Vaan a 17 year old boy from the country Dalmasca. Vaan and his companions are all seeking to prevent their country from being taking over by Archadia. Dalmasca is a small country that lies between two larger empires who are at war with each other, Archadia and Rozzaria. Vaan meets up with Lady Ashe who is the princess of Dalmasca; together the two and their friends travel throughout the world to gain the power to stop the Archadian Empire.
The game’s controls are simple and easy to learn. All controls are taught at the very beginning of the game.
This game has a different battle style than the traditional Final Fantasies. Normally characters operate on a turn based battle system which means each person has an unlimited amount of time to decide which attacks they want.
In FFXII the battle system is continuous just like in MMORPG’s.
When you are deciding which attack you want to make with one player the opponent and other characters in the party will continue to attack. This is where the developers added a gambit system. This allows you to set what moves your characters shall perform during different situations.
For example, one can be set to cure any ally whose hit points go lower than 50% of their max. This system can be a little awkward at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really easy
The graphics of the game are as always with Final Fantasies, above average. The movie scenes are stunning and those during gameplay are very well done as well.
Squaresoft did a wonderful job on the detail of the scenery. The world of Ivalice is huge and meticulously detailed. The only part I didn’t care for is the definition of the characters muscles. Some of them, Vaan’s abs for instance, look a little weird.
The sound is impressive as well. They have chosen the voice actors for each character very well, each sounding just as you would imagine.
Square also did a very good job with the sound effects too, each helping to create a fantastic atmosphere throughout the game. For example, entering the giza plains during the rainy season you are greeted by the sound of rain falling and distant thunder. When in the westersands during a sandstorm you can hear the wind blowing vigorously and in the Paramina Rift, icy blasts of snow send chills down your spine.
The background music for each area would not be out of place in a blockbuster movie.
Square has once again gone a step further than most RPG developers with their attention to detail.
OUR PLEDGE: We promise that we have fully played 'Final Fantasy 12' before writing this review. The scores given above are our honest opinion and were not influenced in any way by the manufacturer or distributor of the game.
This review was written by Michael Capozzi © Absolute PlayStation
Click here to view our 43 Final Fantasy 12 in-game screenshot slideshow
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