5 Minute Review: Final Fantasy XII

Now there's few franchises out there that I follow for more than say 2 sequels. Final Fantasy however is one of those exceptions. The latest entrant into the family is FFXII. Set in the world of Ivalice the blend of fantasy and machina in this new release reminds me a bit of Star Wars and back drops like Naboo.

Visually the game is still as polished as ever (at least as ever it can be on the PS2). Cut scenes are still very cinematic and F/X are still very entertaining. Audio however doesn't seem to be quite as up to par this go around to me. Dubbing was especially bad with audio quality seemingly fluctuating (almost seems like echo control wasn't handled well in the recording booth).

The combat system however is the biggest departure. Rather than implement a pure turn based combat system FFXII adopts something of a hybrid between real time and turn. Enemy encounters are handled in semi-real time and you are allowed to select attacks which pause the action. On the upside things get moved along a lot faster, on the downside, your ability to really be tactical is more or less taken out of the loop. As many others have mentioned, the game sort of plays itself now. I haven't done much more than the first hour of gameplay but as role playing games go, it isn't bad. Unfortunately it also isn't great. While the skills progression system is sufficiently interesting and the storyline seems good, the game just doesn't seem to jump out as something extraordinarily unique. That however could be part of its charm as well.

All in all, the game looks to be an enjoyable ride but nothing to write home about. First impression, I would rate this newest FF title at a 7/10. Might not win over converts, may actually turn away hard core FF fans but casual players may be okay.

UPDATE: After a bit more gameplay (and actually being awake) I realize the game isn't that bad. I still find UI quirks and the license/gambit system somewhat combersome but the fact that the game threads you along pretty well and isn't quite as plodding as some of the previous iterations is nice. A revised 8.2/10 score is warranted here.