Final Fantasy XII (PlayStation 2)

I enjoy RPGs ,mostly on my PC. I own The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion for my Xbox 360, and now for the first time, I have got an RPG for my PS2, and I am so glad I got it. Final Fantasy XII is one of the best RPGs I've played. I am not a Final Fantasy fan, and have only played FFXI Online. I cannot compare to the others, but FFXII is better than most other RPGs I've tried. I've played Dragon Quest VIII (by Square Enix) and it was great, but I prefer the graphical style and real-time combat of Final Fantasy XII.

The gameplay is what makes this game stand out from many others, in that it allows you to totally control whats going on in battle, even when you are not in control of each character. This happens through the use of Gambits, and there are many of them that you can collect throughout the game. Actions, skills, spells, and just about anything can be assigned to characters to perform, making the combat smooth and interesting (instead of having to constantly pause to issue orders, you can watch the battle play out, the way you want it to).

The graphics are fine for the PS2. I am usually very picky about graphics, and even though the game looks very good, it's not a strong point of the game at all. The game is immersive in so many other ways besides the graphics. The artwork is nice, the sounds and music are excellent, and the storyline is top-notch. The character models are very well done and the animations are amazing. There are so many of them and they are lifelike. Each character has different animations and holds/weilds the same exact weapon in their own unique way. Little things like this are a big deal to me.

The quests in the game are fun, and save points (large crystals) can be found with ease. The games progression is more or less linear, although there are many sidequests that I've encountered. The character development is fun. Not only do you accumulate EXP, but you also get LP, or license points. These allow you to 'buy' skills from the license board, sort of like a checker board. When you buy a skill, the adjacent squares become visible so you can think about which skills you want next. The skills on the board are arranged in a order that allows you to progress the way you want (warrior, magic-user, thief, etc.). The tricky thing about this is that once you buy a skill with your LP, you don't necessarily get to use that skill right away. You must have the proper weapon, spell, or item in your inventory first. There are plenty of shops to buy and sell, and you can find all sorts of thing while adventuring and going through the game.

The environments are varied and beautiful. The dungeons in the beginning of the game all feel similar, but a bit further on there is a more diverse landscape to explore. NPCs are everywhere and you can talk to most of them. They will give you clues and information. There are also many playable characters you can control, and other non-playable party members that you will encounter and unlock.

This is my very basic review of the game, I haven't done it justice because there is so much detail and depth to Final Fantasy XII. A game this size and this deep usually is intimidating for a more casual player, but it didn't scare me, and I am happy for that, because I am having a blast playing.