Visually stunning, technically proficient, with a great cast of characters, and an even better story.
The soundtrack is fantastic. Almost every area has it's own composition, and each composition fits the area like a glove. The sounds of the game itself are equally impressive. The sound of your characters footsteps change with the terrain. The sound of your weapon hitting the enemy changes with the type of weapon you have equipped. To top it all of, the voice-acting is terrific. The actors convey the right emotions with just the right amount of feeling, and there are very few instances in the game where this isn't the case.
The graphics is this game are stunning. There really isn't any other way to say it. Each area is exquisitely detailed. If you're in the wilderness, it looks like your in the wilderness. If you're in a palace, you will definitely know that you're in a palace. The characters out of cutscenes are great, with their hair waving to match the speed of the wind. The characters in cutscenes are simply spectacular. They are perfectly detailed, to the point where they almost look human. The enemy models look amazing, and there are rarely two different enemy types that look exactly the same.
The combat system in FFXII is unique. For starters, any character can wield any weapon, wear any armor or accesory, and cast any magic, as long as he or she has the required license. Licenses are obtained by using license points on an unlocked license. The licenses are organized in a grid, and organized by type. For example, all armor licenses are grouped in area, and the more advanced armor licenses are farther away from the starting points on the grid. License points can be obtained by killing any monster, regardless of level. Initiating a fight itself is another thing. All monsters in any given area can be seen at anytime (excepting bosses), and most of the time they can be seen on your mini-map. Nothing new. However, all battles take place in the field, meaning there is no switch from exploration mode to battle mode. When engaging an enemy, your characters will simply take out their weapons and demolish your opponent. FFXII's greatest innovation however, is it's gambit system. Gambits allow you to pre-program your party members battle plan. For example, one can program a party member to heal anybody that has less than 70% HP, and when all members are healed, then the party member will attack only the party leader's target. Gambits can be confusing, but it takes a lot of the micro management out of battle, and it is extremely useful.
A key part of FFXII is Hunts. Hunts basically send you to various parts of the world to kill unique beasts (Marks), who pose an immediate and large risk to people in the area. Rewards are given once the Marks are exterminated. After you Hunt your first Mark, an invitation is extended to you to join Clan Centurino (North-Western Rabanastre). The Clan Leader Montblanc issues Elite Hunts for Elite Marks. These beasts are far more difficult than the regular Marks, and far more dangerous. However, the Rewards are much better, and they are definetly worth the trouble. A lvl. 2 Elite Mark is equal to a lvl. 4 regular Mark. If you do go after Elite Marks, make sure you are 100% prepared, or else you will almost certainly perish.
When you add FFXII's story, graphics, sound and many innovations, the result is one hell of a game, and quite likely the one of best in the genre. But, hey, it's Final Fantasy, what did you expect.