Nov 02 2006
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
GameSpot Rating: 9.0
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Curve: About 2 hours
(As a means of brief introduction, this review isn’t mine, but I wish that it had been. I’ve been a fan of the Final Fantasy series since FFII came out on SNES a decade or more ago. This newest and highly-anticipated installment was released on Halloween 2006 to great fanfare and wonderful reviews — Gamespot’s, written by Greg Kasavin was simply the best. Please allow me this gaming indulgence.)
“This long-awaited chapter in one of the world’s most popular role-playing series features an inspired look, boldly redesigned strategic combat, and a long, engaging story.
The Good: Inspired art direction and a strong cast of characters draw you into the world; lengthy quest spans dozens of hours of gameplay; redesigned strategic combat system offers considerable depth and complexity; all battles are fought in context while exploring, so no random encounters; excellent music and voice acting.
The Bad: The gambit and license-board systems are complicated to get used to; a bit too much running around back and forth in some spots.
It’s been a long time since the last proper installment in the standard-setting Final Fantasy series. While Square Enix did ship numerous games bearing the Final Fantasy brand after 2001’s Final Fantasy X, it took all these years before another lengthy, ambitious, lavishly produced, traditional role-playing game would arrive. Continue reading “Final Fantasy XII”
