|
|
 |
 Final Fantasy XII - PS2
|
| GENRE |
: |
RPG |
|
| PLAYERS |
: |
1 |
|
| PUBLISHER |
: |
Square-Enix |
|
| DEVELOPER |
: |
Square-Enix |
|
| ESRB |
: |
T |
|
| CREATED |
: |
08/17/07 |
|
|
|
Final Fantasy XII, we have been waiting years for this one, a hugely anticipated game. FFXII is however, following in the footsteps of one of the greatest games ever created, and the best FF of them all, Final Fantasy X. That game had a unique feel, one of greatness, you actually got involved in the story, and you felt the spirit oozing out of every pixel. So, is it the same with FFXII? First, ill say this, the raw gameplay is superior, a great battle system, and most importantly, they are not random, meaning you can explore dungeons without losing direction. The monsters are there, in front of you, and that is one of the best transitions Final Fantasy has ever gone through, as Random Encounters, while reasonable, are really 5 years out of date.
However, I stop there, for all the game has to offer in terms of battle, a massive problem plagues this game, and it is hard to explain in depth, but to explain it simply, this game simply has no soul. It feels bland; the game has no spiritual atmosphere, which was the best aspect of FFX. Sure FFXII has a Political Story, but the atmosphere, the characters and the story should still blend together to create that fantastic experience, which is what I expected, however, its so far from a fantastic experience, its terrible, and average at best.
Graphics A-
FFXII excels in the Graphical department, and although it may pale in comparison to next generation software, FFXII is a game on the PS2, a previous generation console, and for a PS2 game, it looks gorgeous. FFXII pushes the PS2 to its limits, with stunning cut scenes and clear and beautiful objects. The best thing of all is that all of this is achieved without any noticeable loss in frame rate; it is a very smooth game.
Special Mention goes to the opening sequence of this game, which looks absolutely awesome graphically, but unfortunately lulls you into a false sense of security.
Audio B
The sound track for FFX was masterful, absolutely beautiful. So much so, I have got some of the tracks on my Ipod, they are that good. Unfortunately though, FFXII fails to reach the same standard of FFX by quite a margin
It should be said, the music in this game is by no means bad, it’s quite good, but not even close to great. You won't be going away humming any of the tunes in this game, but you certainly won't be reaching for the mute button on your remote.
Sound effects are good, which they should be for a game nowadays.
Story C-
Ouch. Ouch. This is going to hurt, and i am going to say it bluntly. The story of FFXII blows. Especially after the great story of FFX, what a pity, Square Enix has left me high and dry here. The
characterisation is the worst aspect, no it is non-existent. The character development was one
of the best aspects of the FFX narrative, and has been included in every FF game, albeit subtly in some. Up to FF12 that is. Vaan is just another Spiky haired, sword wielding hero, but with no
charisma. The character of Tidus, who many people loathe, was much more effective than Vaan, who is
stuck in no mans land? Arrogant teen? Hero? Thief? I don't know. And then there is Penelo, why the
heck is she there for? To make up the numbers in gameplay, that’s why. Other than the beginning, he plays a very minute role in the overall narrative. Balthier and Fran are decent characters, but they don't prosper, and with the story as mediocre as FFXII's, it’s not hard to see why because If there is nothing emotional or interesting happening, then how the heck can a character be effected by these 'events'? The story just feels likes an excuse for the gameplay, and that shouldn't be the case, especially in a Final Fantasy game which places such important emphasis on its narrative.
Gameplay B+
Well, this is by far FFXII's strongest aspect, but unfortunately a diamond without shine is just a rock. The battle system is one of the key elements of any Final Fantasy game, and it is where FFXII excels. Gone are the days of sometimes seemingly Torturous random encounters, because all the monsters are roaming around the map. This is excellent, because you will never forget the direction you were travelling before the battle, which was previously a major pain in the butt.
The battle mechanics themselves are also substantially improved, and ironically whilst the battles have become faster, they can be much more relaxing thanks to the new gambit system. In fact, thank god for the gambit system, because without it, the battles would be painful. Gambits are basically commands, which you can give to each character. The character will then automatically carry out these commands during battle, so you don't have to manually do it. For example, you could set a gambit which casts cure on all characters with less than 20% HP. You can set up to 12 gambits (more gambit slots become unlockable) and the higher listed gambits take priority, so if you have Cure below Attack, and there is a player which needs curing, the character will cease to attack and cast cure instead. Although it is a fairly complex system which takes a while to master, it makes life a lot easier out on the battlefield.
Another feature of FFXII is the license board. The license board works quite simular to FFX'S sphere grid. Once you obtain License Points, which you can do so by defeating enemies, you can spend them on abilities and stat increases. In theory, this is excellent since you should be able to create any sort of character you desire. However, its design and execution are extremely flawed. Obtaining a skill on a certain license square, unlocks all others around it, and the squares cannot be used until they are unlocked. This is dubious because you may have to waste points on useless licenses to get a useful one. The worst design error of all though is that squares of the same type (Black Magic, Swords etc) are not together! My white mage shouldn't have to learn death to obtain holy; I shouldn't have to learn staves to obtain the licenses for Axes. Overall, the license board, while it is a good idea, square have implemented it extremely poorly and is simply a poor mans version of the Sphere Grid.
It should also be mentioned that this is one of the most difficult FF's, which is a nice change from more recent FF'S. My one gripe with FFX is the fact that the main story was far too easy, unless you restricted yourself to a single character or the like. FFXII, however, offers a nice challenge for the hardcore RPG fans. However, saying that, I should be able to flow through the game, fighting every enemy without going back to level up. This isn't the case. Many a time, I had to go back, and grind MMO style for several hours, just so I could defeat the next boss. In World of Warcraft maybe, but I should never have to grind in an FF game, ever. One more criticism is the Quickening system. Although I am contradicting myself, these make bosses a bit too easy at times, especially if you have mastered the technique of accumulating huge chains. Overdrives and limit breaks in previous FF's didn't knock a boss out instantly, but it is possible here. However, if you don't want to use them, you don't have to. Unlike the license board, which basically enforces certain unnecessary skills upon you, you may pick up quickenings only for the MP boost if you like, and that is essential.
Replay Value/Lastability B+
The later FF'S have had a lot of Sidequests, and FFXII is no exception. The hunts, which are powerful and rare monsters which must be defeated, are involved in the largest sidequest. Defeating all these creatures will take days, and it is a lot of fun as well, not to mention the various reward you receive for killing there abominations.
Besides the hunts however, there are plenty of other quests which can be attempted during and after you have completed the main game. FFXII is a fairly lengthy game so the Main Story, along with the Sidequests have the potential to occupy for many hours.
You could complete FFX many times, thanks to Single Character challenges, and its great story. However, I can't see why you would want to complete FFXII more than once a year, primarily because of its poor atmosphere.
Pros
-No more Random encounters
-Great battle system
-Gambit system
-Graphical landmark for PS2
-A lengthy, challenging quest
Cons
-Lacklustre Story
-Non-existent character development
-Lack of emotionally connective atmosphere
-Audio effort not as great as previous FF's
-The grinding
Summary
FFXII is a significant step forward for the FF series in many aspects, including the elimination of random battles and the actual battle system itself. However, it is also a step backwards in many regards, with its poor story, atmosphere and levelling system (i.e the License Board). Although the gameplay has improved in many regards, XII is a big step backwards in terms of Story and atmosphere, with the world and narrative seemingly there for the sake of the gameplay, which has really damaged the gameplay ironically. FFXII, at the end of the day, is by no means a poor game, but compared to previous FF'S, it is an emotional and atmospheric wasteland, void of any character development and emotional connection with the fantasy world. As I said earlier, a diamond without gloss is just a rock, and i am afraid, that sums up FF12 in a nutshell.
Graphics: A-
Audio B
Gameplay B+
Lastability B+
Story C-
Overall B
| Views |
Average Review Rating |
| 498 |
 |
Write a Review
|
Login to post a comment or rate this review.
|
|
|
|
RSS FEEDS
