
Exciting Game, but lacking in some areas
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
STORYLINE (18 out of 20)
The storyline is environment-oriented rather than character-oriented. This will upset some hardcore fans that were used to the romantic overtones of games like Final Fantasy VIII. The storyline is far less emotional than prior Final Fantasy titles and will tug less on the heart strings of players. However, the story has a unique flavor to it. First, the game is set in Ivalice, a world that Final Fantasy Tactics players will be somewhat familiar with. The story focuses on the fights of three rival kingdoms and includes bouts of war, peace, and deceit, including a rather complex coup in the making. The political overtone of the story makes up a major part of the focus, with pieces of emotional looks into the characters as a break from the bland and serious. Overall, the story consists of many different intertwining strings of stories, which makes for a very good game.
GAMEPLAY (17 out of 20)
The new Active Dimension Battle System is a coin toss for players. Many Final Fantasy players were generally used to the Active Time Battle system of the older games. Older players will remember that battles were randomized and the battlefield was very general and there was no movement involved in the field (except for the occasional changing of rows). The Active Dimension Battle System allows players to actually move around in the field, but it still retains the old gauge system of determining time in a battle.
Final Fantasy XII comes with a new concept known as the Gambit system. Under this system, you can assign your other party members commands with conditions to perform. The Gambit system allows players a lot of flexibility and the AI controlled party members follow through with the commands without a hitch. However, players can change their party memebers and still issue manual commands of the battlefield. Generally, this makes battling in Final Fantasy XII highly tactical in nature.
The downside is that the gameplay is generally very linear and, early in the game, getting from place to place involves a LOT of walking, which can prove to be tedious to some players. With the exception of side-quests, the game is very linear and does not allow too many options to change the order of the story--something that I believe is critical in RPGs.
Finally, Final Fantasy XII has a new system for learning abilities. Abilities and weapons (spells included) must now be purchased. Players must fill in a License Board to be able to equip certain weapons, armor, accessories, and spells. The board is filled using License Points, which are gained after defeating an enemy. Old time players will revel in the fact, however, that the game still uses the old experience point system to level up characters.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (16 out of 20)
The game has little in the area of character development, but the game certainly boasts some very emotionally complex characters, torn apart by war and national loyalty. Characters are imaginative, but the focus of the story is on the environment--not the characters.
Overview:
Storyline (18/20)
Gameplay (17/20)
Character Development (16/20)
Graphics/Sound (18/20)
Replay Value (13/20)
Total: 82/100 = 4/5
Review ID: 10000000003309966

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