$20 Game of the Week: Final Fantasy XII (PS2)

Every hardcore Final Fantasy fan (including me) goes on about the first six games in the series and how cool they were. However, there is a lot to be said about the later half of the series, even though there are many who didn’t take to them as well. Regardless of however some people may feel about them, few can deny thier impact on the RPG genre, and perhaps gaming itself. FFVII was a turning point for the series in terms of graphics and presentation. It’s story was so epic that it spawned several sequels and prequels. FFVIII not only managed to reach the bar set by VII, but it managed to exceed it tenfold, even outselling even several Dreamcast games when it was released. FFIX, while it contained the same graphical quality as VII and VIII, it’s story, characters, and simplistic battle system served as a clever throwback to the 8 and 16-bit Final Fantasy games. X, the first Final Fantasy game to receive a sequel, bought the series into the next generation with an emotionally gripping plotline and voice acting. FF XI took the series online for the first time. While it was a bit problematic, it retains a following that is exceeded only by World of Warcraft. FF XII is once again an offline single player experience, and it introduces several huge changes to the gameplay, but it’s an epic game all on its own, and it upholds the high standards that the Final Fantasy series is known for.

Final Fantasy XII takes place in the world of Ivalice, which should be familiar to fans of Final Fantasy Tactics. Playing as Vaan, you join a resistance group in a quest to take down a corrupt empire. Instead of random encounters, you battle enemies in the overworld. The game’s battle system is menu-driven, but it takes place in real time, similar to Knights of the Old Republic. Your teammates are driven by the CPU. However, you have the option of setting gambits, which are custom AI commands for your computer driven allies. For instance, you can have a party member heal an ally whose HP falls below %30, attack the nearest enemy, or use a certain spell on an enemy attacking the leader. You’ll have to buy new gambit commands and targets at shops, and unlock more slots on the license board (more on this shortly). The system is tricky to get used to, but once you catch onto it, it’s intuitive, and you’ll find that it makes battle a whole lot easier since you can choose what your teammates will do in any given situation.

The game’s other big feature is the license board. Along with EXP, you gain license points during battle. These points can be used to unlock squares on the license board. These squares will grant your character abilities such as magic, first aid, and even the ability to equip different types of weapons and armor. They also help unlock the Quickenings, which are this game’s version of the limit breaks. As you unlock squares on the board, more open up. This system of character customization makes it possible to create a jack-of-all trades character, or simply maneuver a party member into a specialized role of healer, mage, or tank.

With Final Fantasy XII being the last current generation Final Fantasy game, Square-Enix has proven that it can do it again. With a compelling plot, deep character customization, and awesome graphics, Square has created yet another classic that stands among the best in console RPG gaming.