It just doesn't seem to fit the Final Fantasy spirit....
I'm afraid I was quite disappointed.
Graphics:
Well, I can't really complain here. Like FFX, this game perfectly utilizes the PS2 hardware in the best way, making it a spectacular visual experience, both while viewing graphics from the in-game engine and from the prerendered CGI sequences.
Sound:
Ah, here is where it began to disappoint.
I have always loved the music from the Final Fantasy series; however, this game lacked the dramatic flair that earlier games possessed. Gone was the type of memorable music heard in Final Fantasy VI and VII, replaced instead with a pretty much standard video game music track. True, as far as game music goes, it's alright; it at least fits the mood for the section of the game you are playing in, but it doesn't help make the mood the way Final Fantasy music has always done.
Gameplay:
Again, a disappointment. I knew that FFXII used a different style battle system, but I didn't know that the change would be so drastic. The new real-time battle system is so mind-bogglingly different from the traditional Final Fantasy system, that it makes one question that this game even belongs in the series. True, it does make for faster-paced battles, and the Gambit systems adds quite a bit of depth and strategy to gameplay, but people don't buy Final Fantasy titles for real-time battles; they buy them for the strategic ATB system we all know and love.
Story:
The final blow. The story, for possibly one of the first times ever in a Final Fantasy game, was taken from an earlier game. Now, not that there is anything wrong with this, it's just that the creators made an interesting choice when they decided to use Final Fantasy Tactics as the base for their new game. Final Fantasy XII's story revolves too heavily around politics (don't we get enough of that in reality?), leaving little room for character development and other well-known Final Fantasy signature story traits. This story doesn't even stand next to Final Fantasy VII.
Overall, I am not impressed by the latest game to bear the Final Fantasy title. I hope that future games in the series will not make this same mistake.