FileFactory Games Consoles - console games, console movies and trailers, console reviews, cheats and news.

Final Fantasy XII
Home : Games : Reviews : PlayStation 2 : Final Fantasy XII

It’s different, to be sure, but this is still everything you ever loved about Final Fantasy and then some.

Early in the life of Sony’s Playstation2, Square released Final Fantasy X, bringing the beloved last-generation franchise headlong into the current generation. While there have been cross-platform FF titles since then and other PS2 FF games, Final Fantasy X2 and Final Fantasy XI were wild departures for the series. The former was a tongue in cheek sequel to FFX and the latter was an MMORPG instead of a traditional role playing game. This means, for all intents and purposes, gamers have spent five long years awaiting the next “real” Final Fantasy game. The long wait is now over and gamers will finally get to see whether the end result was worth it and whether the reported changes to the gameplay would alter the style so much that it would no longer “feel” like Final Fantasy.

Put aside your fears and doubts, wild alteration of the combat system aside, this Final Fantasy is everything we could have hoped it would be and more.

Character models are the most detailed ever seen in the series, making moogles cuter than ever.

That battle system is very different and will probably take some getting used to, especially for gamers who haven’t played Final Fantasy XI or other MMORPGs in general. Monsters and enemies roam freely through most areas and must be approached by the party to initiate combat. There is no sudden change from the free-roaming “world” to a turn-based battle screen. Characters approach the beastie, draw their weapons, and it’s on.

Along with these changes, however, we are given Final Fantasy staples like elemental strengths and weaknesses, familiar status effects, classic monsters, and all manner of things which have been with the series for some time.

The battle system is just as deep as it ever was and includes an interesting “chain” mechanic. As characters defeat enemies of the same type, they are rewarded with a “chain X” indicator. The second wolf killed is chain 2, the third chain 3, and so on. The more enemies of a like species that are killed in succession, the greater the potential for dropped items. Get the chains even higher and the potential for those items to be rare increases as well. This leads to some strategizing on the part of the player. Do I take down that dinosaur chomping away at me or go for the twentieth cactite next to him?

Clearly, the battle system has seen the biggest changes.

Of course, commanding multiple characters in real-time (well, almost real-time – the ATB meter still exists) can be overwhelming for some players, so the game offers the chance to use “gambits” – scripting that dictates what characters will do in battle. I was apprehensive about these at first, fearing that it would be too easy to deplete my potion supply or to have characters casting ineffective magicks (yes, it’s “magicks” now) at impervious enemies. While this can happen if one doesn’t plan the gambits appropriately, the system works surprisingly well. Only a few gambit targets exist at first, but more can be purchased or found later, making the system very versatile and adding further depth to combat.

Also interesting is the exploration of various areas. Like most RPGs and most Final Fantasy titles, the player is likely to revisit areas often. In past games treasure chests found in an area, once opened, would remain empty. Now they tend to respawn after a bit of time and their contents seem to be random. So, if you’re preparing for a big and difficult boss battle, it is now possible to stock up on potions, phoenix downs and the like by revisiting areas that have treasure chests lying around.

12 3 Next >>