Final Fantasy XII E3 2004 Preshow Impressions

Today at Square Enix's pre-E3 press conference in Los Angeles, we were privileged to view a new trailer for Final Fantasy XII that showed off some new cinematic and gameplay footage and put a name to many of the principal characters from the impending RPG behemoth. If you've been living under a rock, Final Fantasy XII is set in the bellicose world of Ivalice, previously seen in Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Advance. Though FFXII's overall story arc and its ties to the Ivalice we've seen in past games remain mysterious, the epic scenes in the new trailer have at least made it clear to us that the new braintrust behind the game, which includes Tactics and Vagrant Story director Yasumi Matsuno, is steering it in a direction fans will almost certainly appreciate.

If previous character art and footage hasn't convinced you that the foppish and sometimes-maligned Vaan is Final Fantasy XII's main protagonist, the new trailer should leave no doubt in your mind. The trailer began with scenes of Vaan acting mischievous alongside a young girl named Penelo, who, it was said, strongly desires peace in war-torn Ivalice. These scenes of the two characters were intercut in such a way as to suggest that Vaan and Penelo will be friends at the outset of the storyline. The trailer went on to reveal a stern, older warrior named Basch, who, according to the titles, was once a respected knight of the kingdom but has since become a reviled traitor.

A roguish character described as a "sky pirate" and named Balthier was revealed next, along with his partner, the female weapons master Fran (who is a member of the Vierra race that fans of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance should be well acquainted with). Interestingly, the princess Ashe, who has been seen in previous artwork and footage, was revealed last, and the trailer made it appear as though Ashe will be set apart from the other characters at the outset of the game. The famous judges of the Tactics series were also referred to in hushed, fearful tones after the character introductions, lending an ominous atmosphere to the scenes in the trailer.

Toward the end of the trailer, as the epic music swelled, we glimpsed a few quick shots of Final Fantasy XII's battle system, which looks as grandiose as any since the series moved to 3D. We observed characters using powerful physical attacks and casting spells that were accompanied by the lavish graphical effects that Final Fantasy is known for. Of course, it's difficult to glean hard technical details on the game's battle system from this sort of footage, but those details will become clear to us (and you) in just a few short days when we finally get to try the game for ourselves.

Final Fantasy XII was recently delayed in Japan, casting doubt on its eventual US release date. Regardless of any setbacks, we'll continue to bring you coverage on this exciting game, including hands-on impressions from Square Enix's booth at E3 later this week. Stay tuned for more from Square Enix's press conference and beyond as the hectic run-up to E3 continues.