Final Fantasy XII Game Review »

Final Fantasy XII Review

Good Points
Awesome graphics, cut scenes, music, cool special effects, and bigger environments to explore.
50 to 60 hours of gameplay without side quests; unless you use cheats or find some way to rush through it.
No random encounters.
A rotational camera that helps the game seem more realistic.
Great facial expressions during emotional scenes.

Bad Points
Fighting monsters you aren't suppose to fight yet, and getting taken out in one blow.
Loading can be from 8 to 12 seconds between cut scenes, but it's hardly noticeable.

General Comments
Final Fantasy 12 has finally been released in Japan, and since it has scored 40/40 from Famatsu, a lot of people are expecting a lot from this game. So is it good, or is it bad?

From my experience with it I would say it is rather good. Maybe even the best in the series! The storyline is awesome, with lots of unexpected twists. Earlier, many people compared it to Final Fantasy 9, but after playing some of it, it is more like Final Fantasy 6 crossed with Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy 11, and Star Wars. The battle system is really addictive, and you won't get by by mindlessly tapping the x button in this game. You have to be aware of how many monsters are around you or you will get jumped and taken out. In other words, you have to use a lot more strategy in this one, which makes it fun. Monsters don't drop money, so you have to get special items to trade for different weapons and items. Also, when you get new weapons you have to get a license to equip a new weapon, and you get to learn weapon skills. You have to tap R2 like crazy to get multiple hits before the time runs out. Cool special effects occur during weapon skills, which reminds me of limit breaks. Compared to Final Fantasy 10 there is a lot more freedom in Final Fantasy 12, but some places shouldn't be explored until you reach a higher level or you will get wiped out. An example of this is at the beginning when you spot a T-rex type monster who has a lot of hp. If you attack him at a weak level you will take zero, and he will hit you for over 4000 damage, which is an instant kill considering you start with around 100 hp. Some monsters won't even attack you unless you hit them first; like the elements and mandragoras. Other monsters will help you defeat monsters they hate, unless you hit them by accident, then they will come after you. Your mp replenishes slowly as you run around, and to use a summon you will use up all your mp. The summon will follow you around hitting monsters with super strong attacks, and if you are near death it will cast an xpotion on you. When the summons time is up, if there is a monster nearby, it will perform a super attack on it, but if not, it will vanish. Gambits work rather well and make the battles less chaotic.

There are save spheres in this game just like in Final Fantasy 10 that restore your health. However, there aren't as many of them.

The cities look far more realistic in Final Fantasy 12 compared to Final Fantasy 10, since the people don't stand around and wait for you like in other RPG's. They actually move around and talk amongst each other. This makes the cities more realistic.

For those of you who were disappointed by Final Fantasy 10, or for those who have been waiting for another great Final Fantasy version, or even RPG, you won't be disappointed by this one. This game is up there with the best of them, and I would say more about the story, but I don't want to spoil it for any one. This game is definitely worth buying!

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