Fainaru fantajî XII

This game is simply amazing. The epic story, interesting characters and dynamic battle system always leave me wanting more. The Bestiary system is also a fantastic touch, providing background lore to deepen an already amazing world. Would highly recommend.

It seems to come in waves- FF VII and FF X were absolutely amazing. Breathtaking, etc. However FF VIII, IX and XI were increasingly terrible. They were progressively worse. This game was a different sort of bad than I was expecting.

I couldn't stand the skill board. I want to see what's coming and how to progress in the game. I don't want to gain the ability to use a certain weapon, i should either be able to or not (character specific). The worst part about this game was that I beat it thinking there were another good 20 hours coming. I had no idea I was fighting the main boss in the game. I had my suspicions but couldn't understand why- I liked him! Terrible!

Why the six? Well, its Final Fantasy! It's terrible rating is way better than so many other games. The music was great and the battle system was unique. There were gems in the game, but by no means was this game magnificent.

To start off let me just say that I have played Final Fantay since its inception on the NES and therefore have seen and played the best and worst of the series. After FF 8 I saw a steady decline in the quality of the FF series 9, although a good game and interesting storyline, no where near matched the quality and grace of 7 or 8 (which btw are the two best in the series to date). FF 10 was a good game and very innovative in its own way with the use of voice actors, but the sphere system was very confusing at first it took too long to understand the how it worked but once it was understood it was a very powerful tool. FF 10-2 was possibly the worst idea I have ever heard of in a Final Fantasy period. FF 11 was a bit better but I did not like the idea of it being and MMORPG.

With that out of the way I move on to FF 12, the much needed revival of the Final Fantasy series. When I first heard of its release I was a bit apprehensive given the lack of quality in the ones preceding it. What convinced me to pick up this game (more than it being a Final Fantasy) was a review of it I saw on X-Play on G4. Now any one who has ever watched the show knows that Adam and Morgan judge games on a scale that is near impossible to get anything above a 3 out of 5, they gave this game a 5 out of 5 so I played it. This game is the revival that I have been longing for in the Final Fantasy series; any gamer who loves the series needs this game. The people at Square Enix decided to get rid of the old random battle sequence (thank God, I was tired of running in to Ruby Dragons in Centra). They instead went with a more live action style of battle system where you see the enemy and can decide to either engage the enemy of you feel you can win or flee with out sustaining any damage. Also new was the Licences system, which I like, it is reminiscent of the sphere system of FF 10 but is much easier to pick up and run with. Another think that I loved about the game was that Yoshitaka Amano is back on with the Final Fantasy crew (Welcome Back!!!). For those who don't know Yoshitaka Amano has been director of character design for all of the Final Fantasy's except for 11 and 10-2 I believe, but he was back on for this one. The movie sequences are beautiful they are the true gem of this game, if you love CGI you'll love this game even more. I like the story line for this one because it is different, which is what the FF series needed, in that it isn't a win or the world ends; it's more political but still very in-depth and interesting as each character has a defined back-story and their own purpose for joining the quest against the empire.

The only think that I really didn't like was in the beginning it seemed like I was just playing a little between movie sequences, but that soon changed and more game time was alloted and less movies.

Over all this is a must have for Final Fantasy fanatics and hard core gamers alike or if you just love awesome games.

Currently a little over than 60 hours into the game (with all characters at level 40), I'd say that "Final Fantasy XII" ("FFXII") ranks as perhaps one of the best video games I have ever played (not that I've played a lot).

Maintaining everything from previous installments that contributed to this franchise's incredible success, "FFXII" contains excellent graphics, gameplay and story. The world of Ivalice (particularly the kingdom of Dalmasca) is so meticulously rendered and it's refreshing to see Square Enix going for less traditional Japanese feel here than a faux-Mediterranean one. As a metaphor for the transition to PS3, perhaps? Maybe.

The Kingdom of Dalmasca is at war with the neighboring Kingdom of Archadia, which has since conquered and transformed the former to a state seized by military invasion. The Lady Ashe was then a 17-year old Hume (human) princess mandatorily married to Lord Rasler, who died in battle trying to claim the Nabradia Fortress. Two years later, in a desire to set out for revenge, she unites with street urchin (and playing character for most of the game) Vaan, sky pirate Balthier, the initially enigmatic Basch, the ex-Viera (a race of rabbit-like wood-dwellers) Fran, and the perky Penelo. Together, they embark on a journey across the snowy mountains of Paramina Rift to the white beaches of Phon Coast in an effort to restore peace in Dalmasca.

As with all the narratology of "Final Fantasy" installments, characters are given enough history to give the player a little more connection with them. (I agree with the previous comment of another user that Ashe has the best backstory which is why I often use her as the party leader.) While not necessarily attaining the lofty bars "Final Fantasy VII" and, to some extent, "Final Fantasy X" ("FFX") has reached as far as characters are concerned, "FFXII" more than makes up with a better storyline (the nature of which I understand may reduce the appeal to some) and excellent visuals. Rather than the usual narrative mostly involving otherworldly beings, "FFXII" gears more towards the political realm, even if the Victorian-style dialog feels a bit our of place in some parts (not really a complaint). Music-wise, the score is good although there are certain stretches I half-expect "FFXs"'s battle theme, as well as "Final Fantasy X-2"'s "Yuna's Ballad" and "Eternity of Lightwaves," would play.

Regarding gameplay, the battle system of "FFXII" is similar with "FFXI" in that it uses an active dimension battle (ADB) system, which means battles unfold in real time (yep, no more shattering screens and less victory fanfares). This, along with the gambit system (a set of preordained actions to be performed by each character depending on default and user input) and an ala-sphere grid license board (only much less confined regarding the characters), offer much creativity and flexibility to the part of the player. For instance, with the right gambit, license, weapons and/or armor, a character can both be an effective healer and a decent attacker.

"FFXII" is, needless to say, a great game that should satisfy fans as well as casual gamers alike. Honestly, I think it's a triumph for Square that fits as a nice send-off before the shift to PS3.

Oh, and on a relatively unrelated note, Penelo reminds me of ex-Morning Musume member Nozomi Tsuji. Heh.

This game is so incredible. It made such an impression on me when I was younger. This is pure art. The language can be hard to understand but the story is deep. The world is just top tier. Ivalice has my heart.

Understand that this game came out at the end of the Ps2's life cycle. However this means its actually one of the most technically impressive ps2 games ever made. Nobody ever talks about that fact but Final Fantasy 12 has full on dungeons in worlds with multiple monsters and bosses casting gigantic spells while your party meets them in kind. Somehow it keeps up, how? With a lot of motion blur but its good motion blur, it feels the misty nature of the game.

The amount of endgame content is staggering and ultimately you can get a lot out of this game. Taking your time and interfacing with the gambit system is key to enjoying 12.

Again I cannot simply state how FFXII is simply art.