I have been a fan of Final Fantasy for as long as I can remember and while they may have dipped in quality recently, they still hold a special place in my video game life. Case in point, Final Fantasy XII.
Let me just get this out of the way. This is a VERY good game. One of the best I have ever played. It gets everything right. Good graphics, good music, good characters, good story, everything.
The story in question is set in the fictional world of Ivalice, specifically the small kingdom of Dalmasca. At the start of the story, the kingdom is conquered by a larger empire to the East known as the Arcadian Empire. Years after the country?s conquest, you play as a street urchin named Vaan, whose older brother Reks was killed in the conquest. You join him throughout the lands of Dalmasca and even into the Empire in the hopes of freeing the conquered country and returning the heir to the throne, all the while thwarting the plans of the game?s antagonist, prince Vayne Solidor.
This is a story which has been told a number of times over the years. Boy from a low station in life thrust into an international adventure to defeat an evil empire and free a people. But the game tells this story very well. There are many subtle elements to it, like the gradual unfolding of the villain?s plan, the histories the characters have with each other, the back-story of this world, all of it.
The character designed are toned down more than the previous characters of Final Fantasy X and X-2. While I have stated that bright colours are becoming less common in video games recently, I actually like the colour pallets used here. They seem very appropriate and restrained. There are hardly any over-the-top joke characters to be seen and even those who are not human are not used as an excuse by the designers to go nuts, which is appreciated.
The characters themselves are quite likeable. The main protagonist Vaan, is not a great warrior boldly standing against the empire, but a kid who literally got dragged into this situation but decides to stay when the importance of the task becomes clear to him. It?s a very different lead to the kind we?ve been getting but you really believe this angle to the character. The other characters are good to but the scene stealer by far is the sky pirate Balthier. He is just so charismatic and confident in his actions and speech that you can?t help but smile when he?s on-screen.
Speaking of the speech, the dialogue is a HUGE step up from past instalments. If you did not know this was Final Fantasy you?d swear it came straight from the pages of Shakespeare. You really feel that the writers were putting their all into this one.
As with any Final Fantasy you visit a variety of locations and meet many cultures. They come across as very believable when you spend enough time with them. From the militaristic Arcadian Empire, to the Garif people?s of the plains, there is not a single culture you encounter that does not immediately come across as unrealistic.
The battle system has been made to resemble that of the online game Final Fantasy XI in that it transitions seamlessly from normal travel to battle when you get too close to a creature, so random battles don?t happen.
There is a huge variety of customization for your party?s roles and ability, though the licence system can be a bit difficult to understand at first. The game informs you of everything you may need to know with regard to the controls, battle system and anything else, which is handy for newcomers to the series.
All in all, Final Fantasy XII is a fantastic game, well worthy of the high praise everyone seems to have given it. I have always stated that Final Fantasy IX is my all-time best in the series. But having played this again recently, I must admit this is a serious contender for top spot.
Final verdict ? 10/10
Let me just get this out of the way. This is a VERY good game. One of the best I have ever played. It gets everything right. Good graphics, good music, good characters, good story, everything.
The story in question is set in the fictional world of Ivalice, specifically the small kingdom of Dalmasca. At the start of the story, the kingdom is conquered by a larger empire to the East known as the Arcadian Empire. Years after the country?s conquest, you play as a street urchin named Vaan, whose older brother Reks was killed in the conquest. You join him throughout the lands of Dalmasca and even into the Empire in the hopes of freeing the conquered country and returning the heir to the throne, all the while thwarting the plans of the game?s antagonist, prince Vayne Solidor.
This is a story which has been told a number of times over the years. Boy from a low station in life thrust into an international adventure to defeat an evil empire and free a people. But the game tells this story very well. There are many subtle elements to it, like the gradual unfolding of the villain?s plan, the histories the characters have with each other, the back-story of this world, all of it.
The character designed are toned down more than the previous characters of Final Fantasy X and X-2. While I have stated that bright colours are becoming less common in video games recently, I actually like the colour pallets used here. They seem very appropriate and restrained. There are hardly any over-the-top joke characters to be seen and even those who are not human are not used as an excuse by the designers to go nuts, which is appreciated.
The characters themselves are quite likeable. The main protagonist Vaan, is not a great warrior boldly standing against the empire, but a kid who literally got dragged into this situation but decides to stay when the importance of the task becomes clear to him. It?s a very different lead to the kind we?ve been getting but you really believe this angle to the character. The other characters are good to but the scene stealer by far is the sky pirate Balthier. He is just so charismatic and confident in his actions and speech that you can?t help but smile when he?s on-screen.
Speaking of the speech, the dialogue is a HUGE step up from past instalments. If you did not know this was Final Fantasy you?d swear it came straight from the pages of Shakespeare. You really feel that the writers were putting their all into this one.
As with any Final Fantasy you visit a variety of locations and meet many cultures. They come across as very believable when you spend enough time with them. From the militaristic Arcadian Empire, to the Garif people?s of the plains, there is not a single culture you encounter that does not immediately come across as unrealistic.
The battle system has been made to resemble that of the online game Final Fantasy XI in that it transitions seamlessly from normal travel to battle when you get too close to a creature, so random battles don?t happen.
There is a huge variety of customization for your party?s roles and ability, though the licence system can be a bit difficult to understand at first. The game informs you of everything you may need to know with regard to the controls, battle system and anything else, which is handy for newcomers to the series.
All in all, Final Fantasy XII is a fantastic game, well worthy of the high praise everyone seems to have given it. I have always stated that Final Fantasy IX is my all-time best in the series. But having played this again recently, I must admit this is a serious contender for top spot.
Final verdict ? 10/10
