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Final Fantasy XII PlayStation 2
Final Fantasy XII Image
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Metascore
92 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 64 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 436 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: The story takes place in a world called "Ivalice," in an age when magic was commonplace and airships plied the skies - the Archadian Empire, seeking to strengthen its base of power, had been invading and subjugating its neighboring lands one by one- a fate which befell the small Kingdom of Dalmasca. Archadia's invasion and the subsequent death of the Dalmascan king prompted the Princess Ashe, the sole surviving heir to the Dalmascan throne, to take up arms against the invaders. In her struggle to oust the occupying Archadian forces and restore freedom to her people, Ashe must watch as many of her allies pay the blood price for that freedom. Though tempted to abandon all hope in the face of the Empire's might, her determination keeps her from succumbing before what would seem to be inevitable defeat. Then she meets Vaan, an urchin from the Dalmascan capital of Rabanastre. Vaan dreams of one day becoming a sky pirate, escaping the Empire on his airship. Vaan, Ashe, Vaan's friend Penelo, the sky pirate Balthier, his partner Fran and many more are on an adventure through Ivalice that traces the mysteries behind the Archadian Empire's invasion. Bringing with it a wide array of new gameplay elements, Final Fantasy XII will change the way players think about the Final Fantasy series. Numerous possibilities abound within each scenario, allowing for a less linear, more unique experience for each player. The game also supports Dolby Pro Logic II both in-game and during movie sequences, immersing the player in the middle of the action. [Square Enix]… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 64
  3. Negative: 0 out of 64
  1. Weekly Famitsu
    100
    10 / 10 / 10 / 10 - 40 [platinum ; Mar 2006]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Eurogamer
    100
    It's not hard to see us looking back in five years time and seeing FFXII as a pivotal, changing moment in how RPGs are designed; a game which drew on the experience of Final Fantasy's branches into tactical strategy and massively multiplayer, as well as on the more mature storytelling of other mediums, and folded it back into the number series, to wonderful result.
  3. netjak
    72
    But the play's the thing, and in this title, the play is a chore to get from cutscene to cutscene. Though I've often snarked that this was how Square Enix designed the series starting with Final Fantasy VII, I can't imagine this is truly what the designers wanted from their latest creation. The result is a decent but ultimately disappointing experience from this venerable series' latest entry.

See all 64 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 127 out of 203
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 203
  3. Negative: 40 out of 203
  1. ScottB
    10
    A very rewarding experience and a majestic soundtrack. Whilst previous Final Fantasy games were rather linear, Final Fantasy 12 lets you go exploring for yourself in a large open world. A fantasic new 'License Board' system brings new depth to levelling up, blowing Final Fantasy 10's 'Sphere Grid' completely out of the water. A true masterpiece.… Expand
    • 12 of 14 users said yes
  2. JesusC.
    6
    If you lack the reading comprehension to read through a much better Final Fantasy (See 7--which is only incomprehensible if you are NOT paying attention) then FFX-XII are probably great games. However, in my opinion, those titles are popular entirely by their character design. Hey, we know you guys like to fap, but that doesn’t mean the overall game is good. If you really don’t care about spoiling the storylines, go to wikipedia and compare FF7 and FFXII. I really don’t have much else to say.… Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  3. CristianoM.
    4
    Boring... and boring... and boring. I can't believe my eyes when I read what most reviewers wrote about it. I have played through half of the game more or less (I checked a walkthrough to see where I was) before I really called it a goner. I couldn't play anymore. In short: the music is poor, the visuals are uninspired (just like the music) with shabby colours and strong pixelation but worst of all: the gameplay is extremely repetitive, unoriginal, incapable of keeping a person awake for too long. The characters are on par with few exception. Never felt anything for practically any of them (with the only exception of Balthiar). I should have stopped at Final Fantasy VII (92% for me), a real Masterpice. Instead the parabol had just started to go then reach abysimal levels, Final Fantasy VIII (78%), Final Fantasy IX (70%), Final Fantasy X (61%), Final Fantasy XII (42%). Sqauresoft Enix won't get money from me anymore.… Expand
    • 3 of 3 users said yes

See all 203 User Reviews

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