Final Fantasy XII (PlayStation 2, 2006)

As a veteran player of every Final Fantasy game ever released, I looked forward to this version with much anticipation. I have completed this latest installment and while I enjoyed the gamplay, there were more "cons" to this game than any other I've played in the FF series. To give credit where it's due, the graphics and technical aspects were unmatched. However, that to me was cancelled out by a lack of strong characters and storyline.

Pros
- The graphics here are better than ever. The cut scenes are absolutely breathtaking, vivid, detailed and intricate. Technically, FFXII is unmatched and will absolutely captivate you.

- I found the battle system (which changes after every new FF installment) to be a refreshing improvement. There's no intro and exit scene for every battle, bless them, only with major bosses, which makes the game flow much faster and makes it more realistic. You can pick and choose your fights for the most part, flee your foes, and can spot enemies lurking through the mighty helpful "map screen" shown through most of the game.

- The various party and character command sections, (party, licenses, equip, status ,etc. ) are more streamlined and less time consuming than previous games, giving you more time to enjoy the game and less trying to figure out the best sword to use.

CONS

- There is no gil (money) for winning battles, only items which you can exchange for money. There is NEVER enough money to buy what you want until the very end.

- The Esper component is not as enjoyable as past games. Summoning an Esper uses up all your magic, which is a total flop, and you dont' have anywhere near as much control over the Esper's actions as past games. The Mist Knack chain sequences take some getting used to, are poorly explained, and again, use up all your magic.

- Character and storyline are just as not as well developed as in previous games and are downright dismal when compared with, say, Final Fantasy X (with the exception of the charming and amusing Balthier.) There's no real sense of comraderie or bonding, the storyline needs some work, and the characters are rather bland. Vaan is the wimpiest "hero" to date of all FF games, no? The Princess did not inspire any loyalty on my part (was truthfully mildly annoying), I still dont' know what Penelo was doing there, and the only thing Fran had going for her was her nearly bare bum.

- Game is a little TOO easy; and it's nearly impossible to die. Takes away some of the thrill.

All in all, a good game for those thrilled with the technical aspects and not so much for those who have enjoyed past FF's outstanding and unmatched character and story development. This game has some decent bosses and marks that really challenge your survival abilities, some decent side quests, hunts, and espers including whole game areas that are strictly bonuses. I just hope that future games will bring back the character magic and memorable storylines of past installments.