This is quickly becoming one of my favorite games of all time!
The game starts with a quick learning session... BORING! But then again, ever Final Fantasy, or any RPG for that matter, is somewhat boring in the beginning. However, in FF XII, the period in which the game is boring does not last long. But on to more specific matters.
The Plot/Graphics:
Okay, with out revealing anything, the story, which i'm sure most of you know, is about a young boy named Vaan who is an orphan and is determined to become a sky pirate. He gets mixed up with people who are fighting the country that has conquered his home land and begins a journey to fight back. With that said, the plot is not something that really wowed me, however, the way in which the plot advanced and the cinemas that went along with it were nothing short of captivating! I have to attest to the fact that the cinemas in this game are, in my opinion, as good if not better than SOME I have seen of XBOX 360. It's amazing, lush smooth graphics that toss the player into the storyline if you aren't enthralled already! Even when there is no movie playing, the graphics are still some of the best I have ever seen! It's amazing how much better PS2 graphics have gotten over the years. The enemy's, although many are exactly the same, also look better to me than most I have seen in any other RPG.
Gameplay:
Here is the clincher! The gameplay is one of the most unique I have ever seen in a Final Fantasy game. FFVII had the materia system which I loved. FFVIII had the draw system which I also like, even though it was highly disliked. FFX had the sphere grid which was a very interesting take on character development, and FFX-2's dressphere, although also disliked, was still very interesting. However, in FFXII, the main focus is License Points. Every enemy you defeat gives you LP's and you use them to unlock certain upgrades on the License board. This system is very similar to the sphere grid from FFX although much easier to manage and understand. Another unique fact about this game, in FFXII, bosses no longer give out exp, they only give out LP's. Since many bosses you face require that you switch out your party in-battle, another fun feature, in order to attain victory, you don't have to worry about who gets exp because no one does and everyone gets the same amount of LP's. However, one of my favorite parts regarding the gameplay of FFXII is no more random battles! This is amazing, you see all your opponents and if you don't care to fight, you don't have to! This feature reminds me of games like Elder Scrolls, or The Legend of Zelda, both of which are great games and have many different games that have all been successful. There are many other little things regarding the gameplay, weapon types, armor, accessories, and techniks. These all have a profound effect on the quality of the game, however, they are best saved for your own personal experience!
Sound/Music:
The music is not as pivotal in the games success, however, it is still a great part of the fun. I don't get the same feeling from the music in this game as I did for the music in FFVII or FFX. It's most likely because in FFVII, when Arieth dies and that piano starts playing... Man that just hits a nerve every time. In my opinion, there is nothing that really has that same effect in this game. However, similar to FFX, the music still plays a part as is still enjoyable to listen to. I give the sound a 9 because although it's not as good as others, it has moments that link to other nostalgic moments in Final Fantasy. For example, when you defeat a boss, the "congratulations" screen comes up and you hear the victory fanfare from FFVII. That is always something to look forward to. There are also many parts that remind me of FFX and X-2. So the music and sound are still a great part of the game.
Value:
I can easily see this as being one of the greatest Final Fantasy games of them all. Many still hail the first one or the third one as the greatest, both of them are very good. Even I am guilty of believing that VII is probably the best overall, however, I wouldn't not be surprised if after a little while, this one begins to captivate all FF lovers and soon becomes everyone's favorite. Even I may soon have to recant VII as being the best and replace it with this one! For those of you who are with me in thinking VII was amazing and probably the best, trust me, this one will blow you away! In the end, there are many aspects of this game that are not discussed in this review. Either because I didn't think of them at this time, or simply they are best saved for you to find out on your own. I really think that this game will be one that I cherish in my collection and, like other FF games, I may feel inclined to play it at least once a year until they de-throne this one with an even better one. This is all simply my own opinion and it may be biased to the FF series, but I truly think that this game is or will be recognized as the best video game of the century... but I could be wrong.