Square's still going strong, but every one drops the ball on some levels.
Gameplay: Nice new battle system, a interesting break from the ATB system. However, it was almost too easily exploited and if you knew what to do, the game could play itself as you go make a sandwich. Also, by the middle-end of the game, every character was the same (like in FF10). Changing weapons on the fly to fit different scenarios/enemy weaknesses was a nice touch though.
Graphics: As always, Square manages to do fantastic graphics. Ignoring the infamous wtf reaction to Vaan's abs, the graphics are pretty well done for the PS2. Sure, there were some instances in which the weapons didn't seem to actually be held by the characters, but the graphics and textures were up to Square's usual standards.
Sound: It was a new music developer (since Uematsu went with Sakaguchi to Mistwalker) and it worked well. Not to knock Uematsu, but his music always overpowered the scenes. This new developer's music COMPLEMENTED the scenes. However, with that same token, the music is not nearly as memorable as Uematsu's scores.
Value: FF12 has a nice story to it. Rather than the cliche overpowered villain with uber powers and massive sword, it's more about the politics and what goes on behind the scenes that makes the story. That being said, it could have been more developed. Alot of the behind the scenes action had to be guessed at because it wasn't shown. Also, alot of the sidequests/ultimate weapons were earned from hours upon hours of grinding (in the most treacherous of mazes). Tilt: Personally, I liked FF12 until about midway through, when the story just goes total wtf mode (which I think stems from the developer leaving halfway through). Like all other Final Fantasies, 12 has both its good and bad points. In this case, the good outweighs the bad, but not to the point of it becoming something I highly recommend. If you like Final Fantasy (not just 7, but most of the Final Fantasies), you'll probably like this one. If you're just looking for another thing to pass your time, it's still worth a gander. If you're just getting into RPGs, start with something less wonky.