Final Fantasy XII reinvents the series, and improves on almost every aspect of it's predecessors.
User Rating: 10 | Final Fantasy XII PS2
Final Fantasy. Anyone who's played a video game has heard of this household name for RPG titles. Their games have been classic RPG's, and Final Fantasy XII carries on that tradition. First off, this isn't your typical Final Fantasy game. The battle system has been dramatically overhauled to a more real-time system. The system is similar to that of Final Fantasy XI. The new battle system may have you wondering what's going on, but as you progress through the game you will be wondering why they did not implement it sooner. The Gambit system is an excellent addition to the series, and allows you to customize the actions of your other party members. This will allow them to attack your target, heal characters whose HP has dropped below a certain percentage, remove a negative status effect, buff a party member, or use a item at a proper time in a fight. The story is where Final Fantasy games have always excelled. Final Fantasy XII tells a story of war. It is very much in the vain of the Star Wars Saga. Our characters are all victims of this war, and end up joining up with the resistance against the Empire. Not 100% original, but interesting none the less. Even being a almost blatant ripoff of the Star Wars story, Square Enix manages to deliver it in a way that is incredible. Square Enix has always been one of those companies to squeeze every ounce of power out of a game system. They design some of the most beautiful looking games you will ever play. Final Fantasy XII's graphics are incredible. Not next-gen incredible, but incredible for the "way past it's prime PS2." From the beginning to the end, the visuals will suck you in. Final Fantasy XII is a very time consuming game. I would describe it as a single player MMORPG. The system is very similar to a MMORPG, in that it features real time combat, and a loot system. The loot system is how you will make most of your money in the game. Monsters drop loot and some even drop rare loot. The loot can then be sold to merchants to unlock bazaar items, which is where some of the better equipment will be attained. The License board is also new. This is like the Grid system in Final Fantasy X, only a million times better. The only downside to it is that you have to purchase the license to use weapons, armor, and magic. The sound effects and music are great. The Final Fantasy series is known for having some of the best musical scores in the video game industry. The music in this game fits each setting/area of the game, and really helps to draw you into the story. Overall, Final Fantasy XII is a solid RPG experience and one of the best games for the PS2. It will last you a while, especially for completest's, as there are tons of side quests to do, as well as leveling all of the characters and completing all of their license boards. This game will not only make a excellent collection to your PS2 library, but will also please any Final Fantasy/RPG fan. 
