Square-Enix’s final hurrah with the Final Fantasy series on PlayStation 2 is an event not to be missed. Final Fantasy XII is easily one of the strongest and most entertaining entries in the series, providing fans with vibrant graphics, involving characters, unlimited customization options, innovative battles, and over 50 hours of game play.
The story begins first with an impressive cinematic scene followed by a tutorial involving Reks, the older brother of the main character Vaan, as he is on a mission with the Dalmascan army. Commander Basch is leading the men to stop their king from signing a peace treaty due to new information received. The result of this flashback is regicide, which then sets the scene for betrayal, intrigue, and foreign invasion of the small country of Dalmasca by the empire of Arcadia.
The plot then flashes forward two years to follow the thief Vaan in the now-occupied city of Rabanastre. Vaan has a dream of becoming a “sky pirate” with an airship. This desire leads him to break into the palace, setting off a chain of events to restore Dalmasca, defeat the empire, and bring back peace to the lands of Ivalice.
The storyline borrows the setting, races, and some summons from the earlier Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, but it takes these a step further to create a complete world to immerse players in. Also, as a first, Vaan isn’t truly at the center of attention. Like the player, he and his friend Penelo are more observers of the real main characters, Ashe and Basch. They participate but aren’t the focus of the action, providing an interesting perspective to in-game events.
Additionally, many great concepts are scattered throughout the game. Each character is fully customizable with the license board, so players can choose what weapons, armor, magic, and abilities each has. There are no random battles, and each area is a battlefield with monsters roaming freely. In fact, some monsters aren’t even hostile and instead will heal or help the party as they fight mutual enemies. Also, the voice actors are extremely talented and the background music fitting.
Overall, this is an incredible entry in the series and one that any role-playing fan won’t want to miss. The imaginary world and story created by Square-Enix in this entry is so complete, it is difficult not to become absorbed in it.