The RPG king returns to claim its throne. Finally.....
FF XI aside,FF games have felt similar for way too long,offering the same line dancing random battles and pre rendered backdrops from FFXI through to X2. FF XII breaks that with a game world that offers full camera control without any compromise in detail.And cinematics......of course,every game these days has slick,money-pit intro movie to show off,but even this game's cutscenes are skillfully crafted,from convincing facial movements and animation to the costumes themselves.
The game's towns are packed with impressive number of characters ,and exploration feels like true exploration since there's a serious amount of side questing to be had.There are a few dungeons that don't offer a suprise or two on a revisit,but these places can sometimes feel repetitive.You can recharge your magic points by running around:its a dull tactic,but a necessary trudge for some of the tougher moments,with the occational irritating boss battle giving away to a nasty checkpoint.
After a storm development,FF XI isn't just a worthy installment of the series ,but a great RPG in its own rights,one that thinks differently and feels all the better for it.The PS3 has a lot to live up to,thats for sure.........