The first six hours were a bit of a trudge; to begin with it didn't "feel" like Final Fantasy but once I got used to the mechanics FFXII really grew on me, possibly due to the innumerable similarities to Star Wars or the fact that it resembles western RPG "dungeon crawlers" in places (the influence on the Dragon Age games is huge). Characters are flat thus excluding any real emotional engagement to them (or the story), but not so it prevented me from enjoying either the politicking, scheming and manoeuvring amongst the antagonists was well done. Impressive visual design, music is good but Uematsu's minimal involvement is felt throughout. Gameplay can get repetitive in places and the new battle system negates any sort of strategy (the free camera is also an annoyance in confined areas) but the game is well worth playing through to the satisfying (and downright spectacular) conclusion.… Expand

The FF XII storyline is one of the best and most mature FF storylines. The story isn't melodramatic or geared toward preteen girls. The dialog in the game is beautiful. The music is beautiful. The gameplay gambit system is fun enough although perhaps not interactive enough. I've played a lot of PS2 games (especially via PCSX2), but I keep coming back to this game in particular. I'd have to say it's by far my favorite PS2 game.… Expand

By far my favorite of the "modern" (PS2/PS3) Final Fantasies. I absolutely love the Gambit system, I cannot say enough about it. The customizability of character AI is beyond anything seen before or since. Although character roles are rather genericb since any character can acquire basically any skill, individual characters are still very tailored towards certain specializations because of base stats and early in the game their different starting positions on the License Board

I thought the story was much more mature than most Final Fantasies (and JRPGs in general). Nothing overly special but it kept me moving forward and I really enjoyed the character developtment and underlying political intrigue. Like I said it's not mind blowing but it is very well toldThe world is large with lots to do, although some areas do feel rather empty.

I can see where some wouldn't like the Gambit system. You'll love it or hate. If you like absolute control over everything your party does under absolutely any situation, you will love it. If you want the old school RPG status quo of on-your-toes turn based menu selections, this may not be for you.

Last but not least, the first 2-3 hours (as with many RPGs) are extremely slow, IMO. Once you get full party control and start acquiring Gambits and Licenses, the game absolutely shines. Do not judge this game until you are a few hours in.… Expand

I think one of the reasons people are so critical is because it is a final fantasy game. If it would be a new series then evrybody would say: ''Did you hear of this game? It's really good, you should try it out.''
And they would be correct. The game is really good. The environments are beautiful, the characters are okay, the story is good... My problem is with the gameplay. It's boring because you control only one character instead of all of them and when an enemy appears your party members attack on their own accord and during the fight you can hardly evade the attacks of the enemies. What is the point of creating real time battles (the opposite of turn based battles in which you stand in a row and await your turn) if you can't evade. You can run away while you wait for your bar to charge but you will recieve damage of a swordslash 4 meters away from you. Another thing is the large amount of grinding before a boss battle because you aren't strong enough yet to beat him. It happens multiple times that you have to grind for 2 to 3 hours and that isn't fun. To conclude with a positve note: The instructions you can give your party members are really extensive and there is very very much to do in this game.… Expand

The gambit system is the best KI system to date. You can tell your characters exactly what and when they should something. The battle system by itself is also very good altough there are better ones. The world is bigger and not so linear like Final Fantasy X. I also like the graphics specially the cutscenes. They do not stand like in FF X and just talk but they also put some gestic, mimic and movement to it. Altough not perfect it is an improvement to FF X and FF X-2.… Expand

I am writing this review trying to convince myself that the game deserves a higher mark.....no actually it deserves a lower one but for better or worse I spent 80 hours playing it, therefore I must have loved something right. First of all I am a big fan of FFX, loved the story, the characters (except you know who) even though he was still a much better protagonist than Vaan. I loved the magical world.....okay this review is about FFXII, sorry.... The reason I played 80 hours of this game is that I wanted to immense myself in its world, I wanted to have a great Final Fantasy experience. I was trying realy hard all the time to care for the characters, to care about its bizarre and nonsensical political plot....but actually what where they trying to do? A royal Japanese soap opera?! They couldn't move me one bit, except for maybe the relationship between Balthier and Cid, but then of course these two characters were believable, compelling and INTERESTING (Judge Bergan deserves a nod here for the best impersonation in video games of Darth Vader) As many fellow reviewers have mentioned rightfully the game has a terrible pacing, you can so easily forget what the whole point of the story was, why on earth you were going in that direction, what were the characters and the villians motives, etc. I could continue all day but in short the game falls flat on many high expectations and standards created by the magic of previous FF titles. And if we are looking at this game even as a standalone RPG.....well it is going to receive even a lesser mark....Why?
Well sometimes dear Square Enix, quantity is not better than quality. Even though you guys have created an enormous world, full of many many side activities, many enemies to be slain, many locations to be explored......the game is very repetitive, the player is forced to spent countless hours in the same old killing of skeletons, bats and wolfs, just so he can afford to buy that precious new gear and new magicks, thus unnecessarily prolonging the game to an unimaginable lenght. From those 80 hours I spent, probably in only 20 I was having actual fun, by slaying bosses, by hunting marks, or by losing myself in some dungeon full of overpowered creatures, fighting for my survival One game is NOT measured by the amount of filler time it contains but by the thrilling moments it presents the player with. In this game unfortunately these moments were far too rare and spread unevenly.
FFX had also shortcomings of course but it presents the player with MANY epic and memorable moments, an engaging and hearth-whelming story, comprised of great characters in a magical world. Unfortunately FFXII lacks many of these key components to feel like an epic and memorable game.
I am sorry but unlike Vaan when I play a game I am not there just for the journey, I am there for the EXPERIENCE.… Expand

Final Fantasy XII is an amazing game, like all Square Enix games. This game is probably the best Final Fantasy in terms of things to do. You could spend 50 hours on the main story line, and then have content worth another 100 hours still left to do, and whats great about it is that it gives you ultimate freedom. Tired of doing the story line? You can go do mark missions, or find side quests, or just explore and level up. The game has some of the best boss battles of the FF series, and wonderful areas to explore. A lot of people seem to hate the new combat system, but I for one love it and think it was a great change new change to their games up until this point.… Expand

My favorite game of all time. I'm still enamored by it, and find myself replaying it every other year. Great story, graphics, gameplay. Usually the reason people don't like this game is because of previous expectations, or because final fantasy fans are pricks who enjoy arguing about which is best.

Final Fantasy XII is easily the black sheep of the Final Fantasy series, the battle system is radically different, the story and characters take a backseat to the world at large, and the whole operation has much more in common with MMORPGs in general than the Final Fantasy series in particular. Needless to say, your mileage may vary.

FFXII is set in the world of Ivalice, originally seen in Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story. Ivalice is a huge, boring, uninspired, ill-defined fantasy world filled with dozens of races that lack personality and charm (none of whom join your party anyway), and interesting, but painfully pastiche art design. FFXII seems to take the Star Wars prequel approach to world-building in that it operates under the pretension that you… Expand

some people say this game is bad......... WHAT!? most of the things they say are opinion, like "I DON'T LIKE IT BECAUSE THE BATTLE SYSTEM IS DIFFERENT" yeah its different and its BETTER. square enix tried to give us a new battle system that actually made sense, before you were forced into a battle after taking a few steps which was ANNOYING. it wasn't too bad, but i'd say this battle system is BETTER. another thing, people complain about the soundtrack saying it was not as good as previous games................ heres something you should try........... TURN UP THE VOLUME!… Expand

FFXII creates a sensational world to travel through with it's excellent music always adding to the atmosphere. Very absorbing. The combat system is fresh and gambits allow the player to customize as much or as little as desired for more complex or simple combat. The primary story and character development are subdued for a final fantasy game, but there is a surprising amount of detail involving npcs and lots of rewarding sidequests (especially hunts), which allow you to explore the vivid and vast world of Ivalice.… Expand

One of the most controversial Final Fantasy game (for its battle system) but (probably) the best Final Fantasy game ever made and one of the best video games for PS2.

I will start off by saying that this game for me is definitely better than FF10 and FF10-2, but I wouldn't place it on the exact level as FF 1-9, mostly due to authenticity. FF 1 - FF 9 will always be a special set for me and I consider these games "classic." Final Fantasy 12 does a much better job than 10 or 10-2 in trying something new and not loosing all its authenticity. First, FF12 does look pretty nice on the PS2 and I do enjoy the new combat system where it is not as turn-based and you can move around while attacking. Also, even though the maps aren't completely non-linear, they do a much better job compared to 10 and 10-2. This game is a challenge for sure, you will get stuck in certain places and have to train to progress. There is nothing wrong with this, its the way the game is meant to be. Anyone remember how hard FF1 was at first? It was actually unbearable at certain points :) FF 12 brings in fresh ideas, but I am not a huge fan of the crystarium leveling and I think this is where I miss the other games the most. There are many people though that really enjoy this system, you may be one of them! I also have to say that I am really not a fan of the time spent on Cocoon, kind of a slow start to a FF game and this is the linear part of the game. If you are a fan of the series though, I believe they did make some improvements but they can even take it further.… Expand

This is one of my favorite final fantasies, it has a rich storyline, some memorable characters (but i don´t really like Vaan, Balthier is my favorite character in the game though), the battle system is one of the best in the series, it has a good musical score, and the graphics are amazing.

A game people seem to either love or hate. I loved it, loved the characters, story and more importantly gameplay and the world you explore. I disagree about the music from some comments, as i thought it was excellent and matched the zones perfectly, Feywood is a great example, plus the different weather was a great idea and how it changed areas. Lots of exploring to do and some places are shockingly hard if you stumble upon them too soon, which makes for a challenge. The best since FFVII, and different armour and weapon bonuses. Great game.… Expand

Another miss-score Final Fantasy XII is awesome and done the best out of all FF titles on PS2 for its epic story and FMV's which help immerse players into the game

A masterpiece game. One of my favorite final fantasies and favorite games of all time. You feel like everything happening in this world is happening in real time. You really care about your characters and the outcome of their journey!

Everything about this game speaks of mediocrity. I've tried to play this game three times and it is simply impossible to do. I was a huge final fantasy fan and I picked this game up on it's release and played for a few hours before becoming disappointed and not touching it for a year. I tried again and struggled up to the Stillshrine of Merriam where I simply couldn't get any further because I didn't grind. I picked it up again and March to play through because I simply wondered if I did not give this game a fair try. I spent hours grinding in the Lhusu mines and didn't struggle any longer but then of course it just became so boring. I'll try to give a run down of what I experienced in my last game.

The characters were indeed as bad I remembered, Vaan is in the top 10 of worst video game characters PERIOD. No one on the cast was really likable as none of them have any development. Baltheir, the character many cite as the best, is little more than a generic jerk. It's clear that Bashe was intended to be the main character at one point and when they scrapped that for Vaan they were unable to fix the dialogue and characters before releasing the game. The bad guys get multiple times more character development than the characters you use do.

The combat is BORING. You don't actually do much of anything you sit there and watch your character do all the work. There are no interesting abilities, gone are monk, dragoon and other abilities you might be familiar with and instead you get 3 abilities you need a math degree to use properly and another "dark" attack that takes health to use which is basically juts an auto attack. In fact magic is gimped in a variety of was, the biggest being you don't get the gambits you need for it until the end of the game. Because magic is gimped what you get is a "tank" a melee attacker and a healer which is quite boring. And for a game that has a "aggro" mechanic it's terrible, you have no way to control it until you get decoy which is just a spell you're going to have one of your characters spam on your tank every time it runs out which automatically makes him have all the aggro. The story seems confused and disjointed. It starts out with a good back drop but then stagnates. FFXII all but lacks the epic sceenes and emotional story twists one would come to expect from this series. It didn't help that some environments like the Sand Sea were so pointlessly huge that by the time you got to your destination you could forget why you were going there in the first place.

Grinding, why would they go back to this? I didn't play any other RPG on the PS or the PS2 that required me to grind. Why after 7, 8, 9, and 10 would they go back to the SNES era of grinding in order to progress?

I've never made it past the Stillshrine of Merriam it simply becomes impossible to care about getting further the combat is pointlessly boring, the story moves slower than a snail, and I really don't care what happens to any of these characters. This game is one of the biggest disappointments in the history of gaming, by no strech of logic can I understand how this game has such a high score. I started this review calling it mediocre and it is, but for a game so boring and pointlessly long that I can't even complete this game deserves the low score I'm giving it.… Expand

This is not a Final Fantasy game. It´s a Star Wars game. The history is bored and slow. FFXII has good graphical, good music and the game play is entertained. As adventure, it is a great game, but as Final Fantasy not.

Final fantasy 12, the one where I give up on the franchise. Starting with 10 I noticed a decrease in quality but this in particular killed it. Hopefully with 13 and 13-2 the name has been redeemed. Back in topic, the first hours are actually ok, I dare to say enjoyable. Users are introduced to the new battle system that it's actually more interesting that most people give credit for. People complain that the game plays itself, but it's not true, it's up to the player. If you choose to focus on attacking the nearest enemy of course that's what the characters will do. People forget that they can manually input commands for each character, but hey! Haters gonna hate no matter what. Areas are also huge to explore, one can literally get lost while traveling with branching paths, hidden paths and so on. So, with a good battle system, good exploration, why I disliked this game? Because of one simple thing:reward. The pacing is awful, you can spend hours when nothing happens and when finally you see a cutscene, most of the time is :" we arrived here, now we're going there". The story is lacking, I felt that the plot was moving forward but the characters had nothing to do with it, it doesn't help that Vaan, the main character, stays in the background during nothing most of the time. With character I couldn't care about, a lacking-story, side-quests relegated to monster-hunting, it's not difficult to understand why I gave up. It was impossible, almost inconceivable that a final fantasy lover like me could do such a thing. I finished the game only because I didn't want to have the feel of having wasted 60 euros on such it. Nothing in this game really stands out, nor the characters, nor the story, nor the music, the most interesting things happen during the prologue. Some may like it, if they manage to stay awake.… Expand

I have played this game and overall the graphics were pretty good, the storyline was not as bad as I thought(still not good though), the characters weren't really engaging and I did not really care for any of them, also the music was just average for me too. I would like to add that the battle system is also not too bad since I like to avoid monsters when I don't want to fight, I like the turn base system since I kinda hate waiting while I want to defeat certain weak monsters as soon as possible without the need for spamming though I would like to point out that I kinda hate the License Point since most of them were pretty bland but overall i'll just wrap it up and say it's a decent game though not really worthy to be called Final Fantasy title but atleast it's not the worse Final Fantasy title(Final Fantasy XIII or -2) .… Expand

One of the best directions this series went. Final fantasy XII has what i consider the most enjoyable combat/gameplay/freedom of the entire series by a insurmountable margin. The European shades and character designs clash perfectly with the hint of japanese that peeks out. If my viewpoint had weight, I would suggest they keep this as the next gen look/feel. The world feels grounded and makes the magical have a context - instead of making everything over-the-top and never having the power of that transition between the two. Basically, this game does everything so much better than other final fantasy games except one super important thing - the story itself. It's a little lacking, and the connection to the characters is a little less significant throughout the coarse of the game. World - 10/10 Gameplay - 9/10 - Story - 7/10… Expand

When all is said and done with the Final Fantasy franchise, I won't be surprised if VII and XII still stand out to me as the games that completely consumed me while I was playing them. Granted, it took me a couple tries to establish any momentum with this game (but that's fairly common for me). Once I did, I fell in love with the gambit system. It has become the measuring stick by which I judge every combat mechanic in a game that goes beyond needing a single player and single character to accomplish everything. I wish ever MMO I played let me set up a FF12-like gambit system for as many characters as I need to fill out a party or raid. Any game that does....just reminds me how much I loved FF12. I finished all but the last hunt (as I could only stomach one four-hour attempt, only to have it end when a rez didn't happen quickly enough while the guy was one-shotting the group), which is more effort I've put into a non-MMO since FF7. Near perfection, this game's only shortcoming, from my perspective, is the vacuous story that was heavy on pageantry and light on having a point.… Expand

The plot failed to attract me, and the characters were generally flat (except Balthier or Basch) but the game hooked me since the first moment. The fighting system is excellent, and I never got bored of it throughout the game.

Another positive point was the length of the game. A lot of secrets and new weapons that required long walks along the huge maps and had a proper difficulty.

The gambits were well established, although if you abused them, that could worsen the experience of the game.

I forgot the OST and other themes. I would stand out the boss fight theme, it was extremely EPIC.… Expand

I love the game so much. It is the the second best final fantasy game next to FF 13. Up until now. I am still playing it. I'd finished this 11 times. Still ain't boring.

Overall I think final fantasy XII is a good game.That being said, it has it's down points.The story is adequate but not as interesting as some of it's predecessors and the main character could be a bit more interesting. The battles are challenging, but sometimes I'd wonder if they're fair in certain areas or battles. Items are sometimes almost impossible to obtain. Likewise, side quest some enemies are almost impossible to find. To sum it up, it seems you're just a little to limited in this final fantasy. If you like challenging side quest and battles you should try this. After all, it's not a bad game. You may like it even.… Expand

Many fans of Final Fantasy will bash this game because of its dramatically different Gambit battle system. While this is definitely unlike any Final Fantasy game you have experienced, the Gambit system really is an extremely well done battle system that even went on to inspire games like Dragon Age Origins. If you take the time to learn it you will appreciate the strategic aspects of planning your battle commands beforehand but in the event you really do not like the battle system, Gambits can be turned off for a more traditional Final Fantasy style of gameplay. Once Gamebits have been turned off, the battle system becomes Final Fantasy except with a controllable character and seamless battles, both of which are enormous improvements to the game. I fear many people have dismissed this game far too early, and if they had taken the time to appreciate the mechanics of the game they would have been able to experience one of the most intricate stories and deep characters ever created in a Final Fantasy game.… Expand

This game = horrible! Vaan, can anyone say Tidus? Actually, the even lamer version of Tidus... WTF is up with the gambit system? I would rather play some stupid hack n slash where I mash a button, as opposed to running around doing nothing but watching animations on screen. I didn't get far enough into it to know where the story goes, nor do I really care. The gameplay is just so stupid and boring that I just can't immerse myself into the story. By the time I get to the next cut-scene, dialogue, etc, I am so bored that I am more worried about finding a save point (just in case I get bored enough to try and play this again) than pay any attention to what any of these people have to say. FF XIII, same thing, a button masher disguised as a 'fast-paced turn based system'. Square, rid yourself of that disease known as Enix, and please have some sense in creating the great games you were once known for! If you really want to change your battle system, take notes from the Shadow Hearts franchise. Those games had by far the best turn based mechanics, EVER! Not the dumbed down 'play the game for you' mechanics of this trash!… Expand

The best game of my gamer life. Final Fantasy XII has a rich world, amazing party and beautiful graphics. Haters gonna hater but the majority liked this game. Just look at 92/100 and 77/100 on user score.

I thought the battle system was awkward, but this is a pretty solid game. I used to play Final Fantasy XI, and honestly - Final Fantasy XII is what Final Fantasy XI should have been. I can go out and fight whenever I want, without having to seek help for a few hours. It would be fun if Square made an online game where you control a party, not a single character. I think that's where they went wrong in their online games. Could you imagine playing any Final Fantasy, just with a 1 character party? Exactly. Onto the review. The battle system lets you basically program how your characters are to act. The skill grid is great, if you invest enough time into the game each character can obtain all the skills, except for the summons, which are one per character. They let you build your characters however you see fit. If you liked Final Fantasy XI , this is like playing that, except single player, no subscription fees, and straight out more fun. The story left me confused though, I wasn't sure exactly what I was fighting for. Still a solid score, however.… Expand

Let's start with a very simple sentence: this game is BORING! Let's start with the plot: even though i didn't follow all of it in 10 hours, I still really didn't get a single bit of it mainly because of the "main protagonists" being extras (literally, Vaan can be kicked out of the plot, and probably nothing would change. I think), and also for the fact that it's kinda boring in general: a good story should hook me into it, but not even my friends could understand it. Second, the gameplay: they said this is a great final fantasy due to the fact they 1) removed random encounters (surely a plus) 2) lots of subquests 3) the combat system. With the exception of the first, I gotta say that this game is more like an mmorpg...in the wrong ways, because subquests should be a part of the game, NOT the main part of the game: you'll do constantly subquests because you NEED money, and you'll just lose interest in the game because you'll need to grind!. Right, since it looks like a mmorpg, you need to farm money in order to buy everything (but you need to unlock them first...), and they really are overpriced in my opinion. All this makes this game extremely slow, boring and unappealing. And at last...the combat system. People said the gambit and the fact you could move "freely" on the battlefield was the best thing of all. Yes, you can move freely while fighting. Yes, you can use gambit to improve fighting. No, it's not action-based; it's still turn-based. This detail made me really annoyed because it was the same system used in old final fantasy, except that you had to move too in order to attack...that's where gambit comes in, letting your character be controlled by orders, so he attacks by himself...so I'm letting the game play for me now. In general, I don't understand why they had to make this system a "hybrid" when they could have just go for normal turn based (or a proper action-based), since you'll do the same thing as in the other final fantasy games or any other turn-based rpg, and yet people say this is one of the best. Don't even wanna start bragging about the fact that the 6 character are also virtually the same (they can learn the same spells, armor, skills: everything!), so I'm gonna say this: try it if you are a nostalgic, skip it if you're looking for something more fun to play.… Expand

Not necessarily a bad game, if you can ignore the fact that the game has a hard time deciding who we should care about, in terms of the story. That is to say that Vaan was dead weight. The gameplay was surprisingly addicting though. As a dungeon-crawler, it's a really enjoyable experience advancing through the many beautifully-rendered levels, battling all of these amazing creatures in real-time. I certainly think that on a technical level it pushed the PS2 to its limit. Technicalities aside, Final Fantasy XII is like any other Final Fantasy: a new story, battle system, music etc. It just so happens to be a "western" RPG. Not the kind of change I was expecting to see.… Expand

FFXII is a step in the right direction. Its the most dynamic Final Fantasy to date, which can make it good or bad depending on how you play it. If you have to do alot of grinding then you are not using all of the tools available correctly.

As a critic, I take pride in keeping an open mind, but games like this discourage me. I won't say this game is awful because at its core is the makings of the decent role playing game. Memorable characters, a unique landscape, and a plotline. But what earned this game a 4 is what it lacks. The classic battle system is gone. The new one is rubbish. the weapon proficiencies always end badly, and lead to overpowering players. It also has a horrible soundtrack compared to the earlier games in the genre. By far the worst thing about this game is the length. It really starts to get boring after 200 hours of playtime. If you plan on playing the game, I encourage you. Try it. maybe you will find something that I missed in the endless void that is Final Fantasy 12… Expand

I'm going to start my review with the checklist that each RPG game, and Final Fantasy games in particular have to pass. Great cast of characters, immersive world, engaging story, strategic combat, and a good open feeling (but in FF's case, an open yet linear guidance) with presentation. Characters- This is one of the only FF games where I can say I liked every cast member, most FF games only produce 2-4 good characters whereas FF13 only produced one...but this game everyone added their own twist to the story. However, there was one character who fell flat as compared to the others, and sad to say, in this one, it was the main character Vaan. His role in the story is rather irrelevant, especially when you compare him to characters like Cloud, Tidus, and Zidane. Don't get me wrong, his voice actor was great, and he is favorable, but as the main character, he went a little limp. Immersive world- the world of Ivalice is great, maybe not as gorgeous as some of the environments in FF10, but Ivalice is definitely a win. As far as the engaging story...well... this may be up to opinion. Whereas most FF stories are completely "out of this world," and the main characters are chosen to save the realm from one great villain, this FF title focuses more on a "down to earth" approach, for example: most plot points are more politically based with a slight mix of fantasy, whereas its usually the other way around. This may be a killer to hardcore fans, and don't get me wrong, in its essence, it's still not the greatest story Square could've came up with, but it still is deep and engaging with only a few pacing problems. Combat- the combat in the game may also be a killer to hardcore fans because of the lack of the traditional turn base combat. But in its core, it still is turn based, and the new look and feel is exactly what FF needed. However, the gambit system in the game could use some work, gambits range from malfunctioning, annoying, or too easy. Also not at its best is the license board. The license board is basically the sphere grid but with way more freedom to level up as you please. Which sounds good, but without the strategy guide, you can be leveling the completely wrong way and the game never truly gives you any guidance in this department. And to me, the biggest drawback to the combat is the lack of guidance, every weapon is different and have their perks and disadvantages to them....which is a good, but the game never actually tells you anything, and again... without the strategy guide, the overwhelming customization with the license board and armory may in the end, ruin your experience. Freedom- This game is rather linear as compared to earlier titles, but not enough to make the gamer feel "constricted," and is definitely no where near as linear as FF13. Side quests are about "half in half," half of the hunts and other side quests are fun and entertaining, whereas the other half is boring and confusing and are barely good enough to endure. In the end- FF 12 is a great game, sure it has its drawbacks and flaws, but most of them are minor and permissible. The Good: FF12 has great customization of the likes that previous FF games have never even seen, great graphics for a ps2 game, a good cast of characters, great innovation to the combat (but could still use some work), and an above average story. The Bad: FF12 never really teaches the gamer how to utilize the customization options, the main character is rather stale, half of the side quests are more than lackluster, and depending on the gamer... gambits may be best to keep off. Honestly, this is not Square's best title, you will definitely be able to distinguish between the quality of this title, and the likes of FF:6,7,9,& 10. However, this title is definitely worthy of its name and shows great innovation and promise for the future of Final Fantasy (excluding 13)… Expand

Pretty sweet game. So much to do, awesome battle system. Interesting characters (some are annoying but most are great). One of my faves for Playstation 2

As a big Final Fantasy fan (played most including XI which is fairly similar to this game), I found XII to be very disappointing. What makes the auto-attack feature in XI tolerable is that the fun comes with playing and cooperating with other players and micromanaging other tasks rather than the basic attack. XII being a single player game lacks any of those other elements but keeps the battle system which requires very little to no input for your average random encounter (which there is ALOT of everywhere in between the cut scenes)

While the story had potential the characters for the most part (except Basch) were extremely boring and uninteresting, Vaan is by far the worst main character in FF history.

The License system (similar to the grid system in X) is a mess where players need to not only spend their points to unlock abilities, spells, and equipment but must also find a locations that sells that particular item or ability or whatever, and also have the gil to spend across many different characters. What ends up happening is needing to grind ALOT through extremely uninteresting battles that require little to no input. While every FF game has grinding, in this game it is excruciatingly boring.

My advice is if you want to play a game similar to this one and have a PS3, pick up White Knight Chronicles, which while is not a perfect game by any means (pretty weak story) the gameplay is at least much more fun than how XII set it up. If you really want to stick with Final Fantasy pick up XI or XII:Revenant wings, XI essentially plays like XII: Online (read: fun) while revenant wings is a completely different game style that retains the same characters (also pretty fun).

Avoid this game unless you're an absolute die hard FF fan, I've played through 3 5 7 8 10 11 and 13 and could barely play through12.… Expand

this FF game just didnt do much for me the story i felt was very weak . the voice acting was ok atleast. the combat system i didnt care much for it was almost like they where tryin to hybred FFXI into this . the summoning magic system sucked . i made it all the way to the final boss area and just got bored with it all and didnt feel like finishing it mainly because the story didnt hold alot of intrest for me and thats so key for me pushing foward. i thinki the only reason i made it that far was i was in denial that the story wasnt very good and wanted to believe it was really gona pick up.… Expand

I like the visuals and everything about the game. It's the work put into it that leaves me catching some "z"s. I definitely think there is too much work for too little of a plot to actually spend my 80-100 hours of gameplay on.

Lots of potential, little follow through. So many missed opportunities for greatness. The problem is that this game had a great set up and the first 20 hours are packed with intrigue and excitement, then after that first 20 hours it simply falls off, and settles into this grindy MMO feel. You'll be traversing miles of game world killing random mobs with little effort for 10 hours at a time, or so it feels. It's tedious.

The combat system is in some ways brilliant but at other times cripples the game because it will simply play itself with little to no attention from the player. I think a difficulty overhaul would have done wonders, because the game is fun when you have to actually think about what you're doing with your Gambits and such, but for the most part it's just on auto-pilot. Sadly, the game really doesn't offer much past the first 20 hours, and I can't really recommend it to anyone. It also has one of the worst endings in Final Fantasy history, mostly because it comes out nowhere, but that could mostly be attributed to the awful storyline which never really gets you to care about anything, but that's no surprise when you're randomly running around a massive world mindlessly grinding on mobs.

A true shame really. What could have been...… Expand

This game is terrible; its high metacritic score is the result of the name of the game and the producer. In reality, this game is ****

The problem arises on many fronts.

Firstly, the main character, Vaan, sucks. Indeed, he, along with Penelo, were shoehorned into the game late in development because they had concerns that the original main character, Basch, was too manly for the Japanese. It shows. He is basically uninvolved with the story and uninteresting in general, and he basically stands back whenever story sequences occur and is completely irrelevant. He should never have been in there in the first place.

Secondly, the pacing of this game is abominable. You run for hours and hours for a fifteen minute bit of dialogue, then do it again. At one point, you go through four or six huge areas just to get to the next plot point; it is simply awful and you lose all interest in the game.

Thirdly, the gameplay is bad. The game is insanely easy and boring in its ease, and indeed, you can turn on gambits and cruise through the whole game - your input is barely required, really, and that is just bad.

Fourthly, the bonus content, such as the extra bosses, are just meaningless grind fests with millions of hit points which take hours to kill but are uninteresting in being fought; they just are an endurance challenge, as they are not particularly difficult to beat, just incredibly time consuming.

All in all, this game is bad, and marks the start of Final Fantasy games just not getting it.… Expand

First things first. The story sucks, its all kings and queens and castles, urgh! it's almost as bad as FF9!! The characters are also quite poor, Balthier being the only decent one. That however is where the bad points end. The gameplay is everything that a great FF should be. A massive world to explore, to be able to go anywhere you want, LOTS of side quests, LOADS of character upgrades through licenses, new weapons, amour you name it. Plenty of grinding to be done, and a game that will eat up your time. In terms of gameplay, it is everything FF13 wasn't!! The battle system was fine. It was essentially the same as FF7 or FF8, but you could move around. This however did not really effect the battle at all, so its a moo point!

If you can over look the horrible story (and I know that is an important element) and bland characters, there is a great a large enough game to make that forgivable! No FF7 or FFX, but most RPG fans will find something that captures their attention in this game… Expand

This game pretty much did everything right. Amazing story(older audience), endearing characters, for it's time good graphics, amazing battle system (FFXI style) and great open world experience. Now, the only reason I didn't give this game a 10 is more due to a personal preference and that's the language. They speak in the old shakespearean dialect which i never took time to learn so I missed some parts. Aside from that this was a great game with an insane amount of side content.… Expand

A beautiful, engrossing experience, and a downright fun game to play. While the character development is somewhat lacking and the voice acting is spotty, at best, the game's strengths more than make up for its weaknesses. The combat system is crisp and fulfilling. While you only control one character at the time, you can easily hop between characters to insert a necessary command, although the extensive "Gambit" system allows you to customize the actions of your non-controlled party members with such specificity that you usually won't have to. The special move system is also interesting, although a little too random and costly, in my opinion. Using up your entire party's MP on a chain of moves that might not work out in the end can be really annoying. Also, summons weren't all that effective, and didn't seem to play too important a role in the game. Generally, though, the difficulty always seems to be just right, which makes for a challenging RPG that isn't frustrating. The world is massive, varied and intricately detailed. Unlike many RPGs that have come since, you will never encounter a recycled environment or cookie-cutter dungeon. Additionally, enemy designs are interesting and fairly varied.

There are side quests to be had, though none as fulfilling as those from FFVI, VII, IX and X. The side quests are essentially a series of "Hunts," where you go to various places in the world to kill a particular monster. There isn't much depth to many of them, though they can be very challenging. Fans of past FF games will be slightly disappointed with the fairly limited number of end-game, open-world options.

The experience and leveling system is also interesting, unique and rewarding. It is sort of a combination of Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy X. You have your standard leveling, which increases all your standard stats, but you also accrue points which you can spend to purchase abilities from a skill grid that is far less linear than FFX's sphere grid. As you work your way to edges of the grid, abilities become more expensive and more powerful. Unlocking the grid is rewarding and interesting.

Overall, a great game with a few flaws. Definitely a fulfilling way to spend 45+ hours of your life.



Overall, this is a great game.… Expand

Im not going to lie here, the gameplay itself is ok, but the game is more passive due to all the gambits. If you wanted to lvl up in the game and you have enough gambits you can basiclly just go to one map and leave the room because the gambits will do all the work for you. Also, the way they have you moving from one end of the map all the way to the other is kind of annoying. I liked the storyline to the game even though it follows Vaan and Bashe. I like the game mainly because you also need skill to play and not just a very high lvl, i like games when i can go up against a boss that is like 10 or 15 lvls higher than me because makes the game more difficult. In this game you dont need to lvl up to go to certain areas and live, also the new way to flee from a battle is ok, i always hated FFVII because when i was trying to get to a save spot I would run into like 50 battles at least… Expand

Some people prefer the classic Pokemon style controls. Some people prefer full-free control. If you like one or the other, you will not enjoy this game's battle style. If you decide, however, to look past the quite annoying battle system in this episode of the never ending franchise you may just find, well... the storyline also sucks. While it isn't as bland as some stories, this video game just doesn't reach expectations. Maybe it is because the story of, say FFX, set the bar so high, or maybe FFXII's story is just overall dull. I recommend NOT playing this game to FF fans and non-fans alike.… Expand

Good things first.
+ The story is adequately complex with a number of turns, and it goes with the whole style of the game. Without going into detail, I think Square came up with something exceptional here.
+ You better believe the aesthetics were brilliant, cutscenes no exception. Square's usual originality was apparent in the world of Ivalice - the sandsea, for instance, or the Giza plains becoming a swamp/marsh. Besides Penelo, who I thought was a bit flat, the voice acting was superb. I liked the royalty obvious in Ashe's voice, the down-to-earth quality of Vaan's voice, and I fell in love with the uniqueness of Fran's voice. Going from FF10 to FF12 there is definitely more graphical detail and polish all around.
+ The gameplay was not what I was expecting, which is a good thing in general. It has more elements than most games: Multiple types of magick, many technicks, quickenings/summonings, and gambits. There are 5 things each character can equp, and each combination has advantages or disadvantage, such as a ninja sword versus a dagger/shield. The six characters can potentially use any weapon and gain any ability with the License Board, much like the Sphere Grid in FF10, but where the Sphere Grid forces you to differentiate the characters first (ie: LuLu learns black magic, Yuna learns white magic, Tidus gains strength/speed, etc.) the License Board lets you change up their weapons and abilities at virtually any point in the game. Not better or worse - just new and different. The fighting system is a fresh update as well. While the gambits could automate the fighting entirely, you have the option of turning them off, so no complaints there. Where FF10 had a passive, turn-based fight system, FF12 has an active, real-time fight system. Again, no worse or better. Both are refined.

Now for the critiques.
- The characters themselves were great. They were obviously deep people with complex pasts and stories to tell. That much was clear. But those stories never came to light. 30 hours into the game, I was still meeting new characters, and I was still expecting guy/girl to hook up or someone to reveal some shocking truth. There could have been a flashback, a description of some special memory, anything, please! Before the final battle, I was still waiting for something to happen. Then the game was over. Nothing happened. My favorite character was Fran. Why? You get to see the village she's from, you meet her sister, find out why she's with Balthier. Besides that, Ashe is a princess, Vaan's a citizen of Rabanastre, Penelo is a friend of Vaan's (or a sister? Idk!). And that's all you need to know about them.
- I know I said the story was good, and it is, but not entirely. FF12 really piles it on at the beginning with cutscenes and a guy reading paragraphs, which is incredibly rushed. Then it's Dalmasca this and Nethicite that...and Nethicite this and Nethicite that. It's like Star Wars in many ways. Brilliant, but it makes you wish you had a friend there so you could whisper, "Uh...what's going on again? ... Oh, so nothing's happened still?"
- I felt like I was fighting the same monsters over and over, just with different colors with different names in different places.

Why a 6?
The main reason I give FF12 a 6 and not higher is that after about twenty hours of playing, part of me wanted to quit. I'm putting 50 hours of my life into this game, basically spending 50 hours with the characters. I don't do that just to see the next beautiful city or a cutscene of old men talking around a table. I want to be immersed in it. Nobody spends 50 hours reading the Harry Potter series just to look at the pictures she puts at the start of each chapter. They want to know the characters, how they react to situations, how they came to be. Harry Potter is an example of good character development in addition to original and stunning surroundings. FF12 has the aesthetics, and it has good characters, but you never get to know them and it fails to bring you into the story.
Besides that, I have few complaints. The gameplay is great, although it can become mostly automated, further disconnecting the player from the game. The visuals are great, and the music was good, though I expected more. FF12 is not your typical Final Fantasy, even if it does carry on features from previous FFs. It's a different style (think knight-era) which refreshes some of the same old typical things in Final Fantasy.
Bottom line, it's worth a play through. But start playing this and then start playing FF10 and you'll see where FF12 is lacking (you'll also see spots where FF10 is lacking).… Expand

The JRPG market has been dead and foul-smelling for a long time. Growing up in the 90's I first got my taste of their rpg's back when it was a fresh concept, with Final Fantasy IV and Phantasy Star I being my first, but it's a sad thing to see that their combat mechanics have changed in the way that evolution changes organisms...extremely freakin slow. In that time I've slogged through FF VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI and with each new addition, I've felt the same way about their new "changed mechanics" for their combat: It still sucks. I don't know if the developers had a hair up their ass this time, but whatever the case XII is a refreshing new look at this series. First for me is that the combat was actually fun and strategic, as well as engaging. The ability to program your characters routines, via the Gambit System, is an excellent addition to help alleviate the grinding that inevitably dawns on a JRPG, but is still flexible enough to allow you to take control of your characters at any moment. Options is the key, as options can be taken or left depending on your tastes. So you don't have to use the Gambits if you don't want to, but it will always be accessible if you change your mind. This is good. Many people seem to hate the characters, and I do agree Vaan is pretty annoying at times, but in XII the main characters are less obvious. You play through the view point of Vaan, but you'll quickly learn that two of the other characters that join you are the true protagonists of the story. This didn't bother me one bit, and I found the characters to be really different from previous Final Fantasies, and although Penelo seems kind of a throw back, most of the characters are very human and believable. The story is very in-depth and more of one about nations vying for power, politics, and grey areas for motivations, which are all elements that I love. The pacing is pretty fast at times, although there are moments where it does lag and lose focus, but I think it servers as a good moment to side quest to break up the constant advance of the story. These side quests are obviously optional, so you could just rush through the story as quickly as possible, but I wouldn't recommend it. FF XII is as close to a sandbox as you're gonna get for a JRPG, and I really appreciated their attempt to not conform to typical JRPG standards. This is probably the most western approach they've taken that I can recall. One of the things that makes this game shine is the voice over's, which are amazing when compared to pretty much anything. The quality of the voices and the accents are interesting (I can never get enough of Fran's accent) and it makes you look forward to those moments when the characters speak. I can't say the same about the music, however. It isn't bad, but it isn't the best of the series, and sometimes I don't even notice it's there. Overall if you are interested in a non-linear JRPG, with open exploration, great combat mechanics, an interesting and highly political story, and a mostly memorable (if somewhat small) main cast, then this will make you smile. It did for me and renewed my interest in a decrepit and ailing series. (Insert obligatory Final Fantasy XIII jab here)… Expand

I don't want to seem like I just hate the newer Final Fantasy games, but honestly, I really don't know how this game got the high scores that it did. Sure, the game is presented beautifully, but after a few hours in, this game begins to fall apart. The cast of characters in this game is definitely the worst of all Final Fantasy games. No one has a personality. If I had to choose a person who came closest to having one it would maybe be Balthier. Everyone's emotions for doing something in the story are told to you, either by the characters themselves or the narrator. No one actually makes you feel for their cause through their own expressed emotions or actions. As for the story itself... it seems like there's this big conflict going on in Ivalice, yet the characters are running back and forth in the desert, having no part of it. The music in this game starts off strong, but after playing the game for a while, they all seem to blend together and end up just as dull and lifeless as the characters and story. The graphics are its only high point, which are exceptional for a PlayStation 2 game. The new battle system they added is an iffy one, considering that you can get the game to essentially play itself. However, it was an interesting addition, but I feel that the Active Time Battle was fine, so there was no reason to fix/change it. The license system however, is just... awful. It gives you no sense of direction at all, so you could end up wasting points early on in the game that could affect the development of your characters abilities early on in the game. Arguably, Final Fantasy XII is the worst game in the series. (Final Fantasy XIII is a contender as well)… Expand

This is the best final fantasy in almost every aspect, its even artistically superior to XIII, however its not the best overall, because the story and characters plays a fundamental role in Final Fantasy and this entry fails in that department, there is a lack of side quest and minigames that not involves kill monsters, and sidequest that add pieces to the story.

The music is good but not the most memorable. the battle system is great , funniest grinding ever in a final fantasy, the character customization system is good enough but could be better… Expand

This game starts off slow then after a while you get used to the controls and combat and for a while I was even having some fun but that doesn't last long. This game marks the first Final Fantasy I could not play to the end and I think this is a good indicator as to when SE started to lose their quality in RPG making.

It's a bit late to write a review for this game for I'll just hop in the wagon anyway. It's simple, it's like Final Fantasy XIII, the breaks boundaries when it comes to graphics and gameplay, but snoozes on plot and characters. The score for Final Fantasy XII is easily one of the weakest in the series, but to me gamplay is the heart of all games, and Final Fantasy shines by giving us a similar to MMOPRG style gameplay. I just want to say that I give props to whatever game that's willing to take risk so Square Enix, good for you.… Expand

All of it's elements combined Final Fantasy XII had the potential to be an amazing game, just like those before it, and from a gameplay perspective it is a worthy title. It makes some great changes to the standard role playing combat system that just plain work and leave you wondering why it hasn't been done before. Considering the gameplay combined with the visuals FF XII is one of the greatest games you could pick up for the PS2. However unlike the series titles before it FF XII doesn't have a story or characters of nearly equal quality and in the end it's only the lack of story and poorly developed characters that hold this title back from being as good as the Final Fantasy games that created the hordes of fans the series enjoys. If you play this game looking for an epic story with great characters it pains me to say that you will be extremely disappointed. However if your looking for a game that you can play for hours on end and not necessarily be sick of by the seventy hour mark you'll find that Final Fantasy XII certainly delivers.… Expand

A lot can be said about this game with comparison to its predecessors. The Final Fantasy series has always traditionally excelled in the areas that make a great rpg, particularly in bringing to life memorable characters and a compelling story. But in virtually every area where FFX, for example, succeeded, Final Fantasy XII categorically fails. At the heart of every story is a protagonist one can root for, and an antagonist to root against. This game has neither. In fact, the entire ensemble is lifeless and one-dimensional. At best, it glosses over Vaan's and Balthier's backgrounds as the convoluted plot flounces about like a headless snake. The voice acting is adequate, though the script itself is weak, and the dialogue, affected and clunky.

Sound is one of XII's meagre strengths, with lavish sound effects and a reasonably well-written score (Dalmasca Eastersand's sweeping Williams-esque theme a rare treat). The graphics are also to be commended.

Gameplay has suffered considerably in this overhaul of the series. I personally found myself plumbing through relentless waves of enemies without ever having to actually perform any action manually. It is as if they encourage the player to take as passive a role in the 'experience' as possible. And that ain't gaming, Joe. It is just proof that change is not always preferable (or necessary).

Square Enix, you really dropped the ball with this one. Back to the drawing board, here's hoping!… Expand

When I saw that this was the second highest rated FF on metacritic, I couldn't believe it. Its not that this game is bad (unlike the melodramatic dross that was FFX-2), it

It's a great game. For a PS2 game the visuals are awesome, you can kinda tell the audio is a bit compressed though... not all that bad however. Much of the music is stellar! The combat system is very customizable whether or not you choose to use gambits (I prefer to use very few gambits as I'd rather not just watch the game, I prefer to interact with it myself for the most part) The game gives you loads of content with the hunts and side-quests. If you want to take a break from the main story, you get plenty of opportunities should you wish to take them. Then there's the story itself, presented in a new way for the Final Fantasy series. Unfortunately subtlety is lost on this generation so many of the players don't appreciate the game's story. If you're not willing to pay attention, this game won't be the one for you but if you really want a gripping story and some of the most memorable characters in the series (Cid, Vayne and Balthier for sure!) get this game!… Expand

This was a terrible final fantasy got home after buying for 60 quid thought 2 myself the starts crap but it will pick up it never did terrible and the combat system is garbage auto running to the enemy when you even have long range weapons and summoning became pointless with the stupid quickenings bout a month later i went back to the same shop it was 20 quid square shot itself in the foot this time but i hope 13 is better.… Expand

This is the first Final Fantasy that I repeatedly put down for weeks before being motivated to continue. I still need to prevail over the final boss. The reason for it being far from the best, primarily, is the characters. I mean, seriously, the characters were worst cast in the entire franchise. I had no connection with most of them; and only had a minimal connection with Fran and Balthier. Besides that they were so forgettable. It is key that a inal Fantasy has a solid group of protagonists and XII failed spectacularily in that department. I cared more for some of the villains than I did any of them. It's quite sad, tbh. The story was ok, but nothing too great; but the way it was told and the voice work was beautiful. The voice cast did an immense job on this game. The world f Ivalice was lovely, the battle sstem was good (I do understand people's qualms with it, though) and it had some gorgeous musical scores (although the OST, overall, was forgettable). One of the greatest things about the game was the Hunts sidequest. Loved that.… Expand

Old school hardcore turn-based rpg gamers hate this (minority), while the rest love it (majority). People who hate this is that because they want all FF become FFVII-alikes and hate change. This game is a breth of fresh air from past FF games. The story is heavy and political, not like past FF, which is teen-like, that's why old FF fans hate it. The system isn't like old games, which is playing menus. For hardcore FF fans, it's a dissapointment, but overall, it's an excellent entertaining game generally.… Expand

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.

To put it simply, if storyline and music is the big thing for you in a RPG, you probably won't like it. Really can't believe this is a FF. Played them all from oiginal versions of North American FF2 onwards along with square's other popular RPG titles, FF12 is the only one that fails to get me hooked. 40+ hours in and I can still switch it off and walk away with little to no hesitation. Don't see why those popular sites gave it such high ratings. Maybe graphics makes up 80% of their final score. Whatever it may be, they valued battle system, graphics, and customization above storyline. Pop the disk in and you'll see a mix of in-game movie clips - that you will all see again during gameplay, and remix of classic FF themes - seemed so lazy. The intro movie was actually great, but once the game really starts with your main character, it's done. All the exceptional stuff people loved about the previous FF's - especially music, storyline, character development - nowhere to be found in this installment really. Even though each character only has 5 equipment slots, shopping for equipment will drive you crazy - A combination of mass swapping between menus and interfaces, exiting shop interface to open up menus. People that gets high over the ability to customize - like putting in a different color case for your gameboy ipod or the likes - are probably the ones loving the license idea. To me it makes every single character the same blank sheet. One is, and can be, exactly the same as the other. No uniqueness. They're all FF6 Gogo's. But to be fair, the idea of selling loots instead of picking up gil directly from monsters is interesting. Picking up special equipment by selling loot is great too. But if this thing costs more than twenty bucks... you might have more fun replaying the old FF you love instead. Coming from someone that thoroughly enjoyed every other piece of square's RPG from SNES days.… Expand

The only Final Fantasy I have never bothered to finish. Dull with no real story and no characters I really liked/hated. I had no reason to believe in their quest for "whatever it was they were doing". Interesting battle system and looked nice but that was it.

Great first impression with great visuals and audio and a higher action combat system, but the excessive time consuming gameplay makes it somewhat of a bore. My initial play tried to take on all the side quests and other optional tasks and I seemed to have trekked all over the place. Explorer-like behavior was rewarded with treasures in urns and chests, but this brought out a glaring peeve of mine... fixed loot tables with randomized/percentage based drop rates. OMG I hate that system so much ever since I tried WoW.… Expand

FFXII is one case where the critics get it right and the users get it very wrong. FFXII is definitely deserving of

I had a terrible experience with this game. About an hour into playing, I put the controller down. I couldn't bring myself to play anymore. Did you ever read Eragon? I thought the same thing as I did when I read that book - why the hell bother? It's one of those LotR facsimiles with the bizarre name scheme that's overly reminiscent of Celtic and English folklore. It's everything I hoped Final Fantasy would not become - a stereotype of the fantasy genre with a male stripper as the lead character. Of course, Vaan isn't really a stripper. That's just the first thing I thought of as he walked around with a few buckles for a shirt, proclaiming "Someday, I wanna be a sky pirate!" No set of characters lacked so much depth since Final Fantasy I. Yes, I played FFI. The story seems obvious from the first hour of gameplay. You are a resistance faction fighting against two warring kingdoms squashing out the little guy. No matter what you add to it, no matter what debauchery the characters engage in, the plot is that basic. No plot twists, no huge discovery that you've been fighting for the wrong cause. The overarching plot, and motive of the villains - whoever they may be - is obvious from the first level. Also, I like English people, but does every frigging government official and soldier have to have an English accent? It screams LotR ripoff. Cough cough, Eragon. Now I didn't totally hate this game. Besides its plot being about as interesting as overcooked white meat, the game does have its merits. For the first time (for a single player FF) the ATB system has been dropped in favor of an all-out melee approach. This is a welcome and refreshing new way of gameplay. Sure, it could be refined, but as a foray into a little-tested system, executes well. The graphics are gorgeous. I am honestly impressed with SE's work with the graphics. However, it's not like they outdid themselves. Final Fantasy has a history of gorgeous scenery, and if you pay attention to all the field maps, you'll realize you often are walking through a barren terrain with some features and a unique skyline. Good, but a little repetitive. The music is also repetitive - but tends to complement the game appropriately. No epic scores here, certainly nothing the likes of One Winged Angel or even Eyes on Me, but it's good enough to keep the sound on the whole time and whistle to while you gain LPs. Overall, I was disappointed by this game. It had introduced some firsts, and unique systems, but all of that just wasn't enough, for me, to overlap the absurdly lacking plot. I wish that in the future, SE writes up a fantastical, unique world like Midgar or Spira, not this bland copy of Middle Earth. Overall, 5 / 10.… Expand

Speaking as a lifelong FF fan who has played every single game in the series, this game is a masterpiece. Graphically, it's as beautiful and polished as any game, and moreso - the sheer depth of the environments, NPCs, enemies, and so on creates a fantasy world that is way more realistic than any stand-alone rpg has ever created. If you get bored easily, or you need love stories or a lot of angsty dialogue to keep your interest, this game probably isn't for you. But, critiques of its plot are misguided - there's definitely a very involved story to the world and each of the characters, you just have to piece it together and maybe play the game twice to get it. There are pacing issues where the story seems to not unfold much for stretches and then quickly in other stretches. And, I might have appreciated greater customization of characters to allow for a little more strategy in choosing different weapons (I'd have also liked espers to be more useful). But, none of that prevents this game from being the best classic rpg experience ever created.… Expand

It is a decent game and a decent final fantasy game. decent....... thats the perfect word to describe this game. hows the gameplay? its decent. hows the graphics? theyre decent. how is the storyline? its decent. how is the difficulty? its decent........ this is one of the most decent games ever made! now, i did enjoy it and it provided an enjoyable gaming experience but it stil isnt my favorite FF game. pros: the license grid system was pretty good. it reminded me of the FFX sphere grid only it was a million times easier to complete. the gameplay is innovative and different from the other games. i dont think i like it more than the other games but it was still refreshing to have a different FF experience. also the bazzar market was a fun experience. collecting loot and treasure to trade instead of just finding gil made things alot more interesting but complicated. cons: the storyline wasnt that great. it seemed to be all over he place and at some points it just gets absurdly unorganized. its not a terrible storyline, but it just did not interest me. the main problem with the story is that there are no characters to relate to. frankly there are just too many stories and too many characters to actually pick out a favorite. There really isn't one main character to focus on and so you don't get emotionally attached to any of them. mixed: the play-length is good and bad. how is this possible? well im wondering this too. i never thought i would play an RPG that is too long. even with a strategy guide, it took me over 125 hours to complete ever side quest, fight all the espers and complete all the hunts and whatnot. it was an enjoyable experience but it just went on and on and on. also the weapons was a double edged sword (no pun intended). it is nice to have complete control over a large variety of weapons but the problem is that anyone can use any weapon. this means there are no iconic weapons like clouds buster sword or wakka's blitz-ball. the music is pretty well done but not that memorable. overall: this game is a worthy effort. its not exceptional when compared to other games but it is fun and enjoyable and i guess that is the most important thing.… Expand

I love this game. It is huge, addicting, fun, and engaging. The FMV scenes are terrific. The new combat system is excellent, too. Trust me, I love this game and this is not the only Final Fantasy game I have played.

This game seems to take one of two routes with gamers, especially fans of the series. Players either claim it to be the greatest RPG on the PlayStation (and others are far more bold) while others claim it to be the worst. I think this is the greatest game ever made. Maybe because it lacks the sappy love story of it's kin, the annoying random encounters, and the over-the-top storytelling, did I enjoy this game so much. The story: mature and Shakespeare-ish completely drew me in immediately and the beautiful graphics, character design, and soundtrack had me sold. Plus, Balthier is such a hunk! ;)… Expand

The weakest game in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XII shows a complete lack of storyline and gameplay. The gameplay is very tedious: the critically aclaimed 'liscence system' is an extremely simple choice of passive abilites.. All combat is automated, and every room is infested with monster after monster. You can simply set your characters to heal eachother when someone is below 50% health, walk into a group of monsters, then go take a nap. The graphics are sub-par for its time and especially for a Final Fantasy game. This sacrifice was done so that the ridiculous action-RPG system could be implemented. It seems like the game was aimed at those comming off from MMORPGs. All the negatives aside, the 2 hours of storyline that managed to find their way into the 70+ hours of tedious gameplay were actually very enjoyable. The plot was very cliche for the genre, but it was done better than I've seen it before. This game brings all the flash and ambiguity of a hollywood blockbuster to the console; simply slapping the words 'final fantasy' on the box.… Expand

To be perfectly frank, if this WASN'T a Final Fantasy title, I wouldn't have rated it so low. Bearing the name Final Fantasy comes with a lot of responsibility... responsibilities this game just couldn't shoulder. It tried to stray too far from the classic Final Fantasy form and I felt alienated and bewildered. The story is convoluted and terrible. None of the characters, try as I might, were likable in the slightest. The battles are engaging and exciting for a time, but I felt bogged down by the gambit customizing and, 40 hours in I had already maxed my favorite characters out to the point where they were literally carbon copies of each other. The graphics, however, are absolutely incredible. Square definitely outdid themselves in that regard. But I'm glad to see that Square wised up and took XII as a lesson on what NOT to keep producing for the Final Fantasy franchise. This would have been a pretty decent game, if it weren't for the Final Fantasy title it so wrongfully holds.… Expand

I have enjoyed each Final Fantasy and RPGs in general. Definitely enjoyed this game. The new battle system is different, but I liked that it allows for quicker battles and more "direct" action, which can become kind of addictive in my opinion. Plenty of things to do in the game. I spent over 100 hours playing through it, and I certainly haven

Sincerely, the game is very beautiful, the soundtrack is good, and the gameplay works well for what is proposed. Still, the world is so big, that sometimes you'll get yourself bored by all of the distance necessary to go from point X to Y. And you don't feel motivated to do so, because the story don't looks like a Final Fantasy. They cutted the fantasy part for half, at least, in the storyline. And, for teleporting from place to place, you need an item or a money payment (for the Airship transport). Couldn't it be, like, Kingdom Hearts? The worlds can be very big, but still, you don't feel bored, if you wanna go to someplace, all you have to do is enter at the point of the world that you prefer. The characters have some problems too. Sometimes, don't seem to demonstrate personalities. They look all the same!… Expand

I do not understand all the negativity from some of the so called fans of the series. You guys probably think that Final Fantasy started with the part VII. However, this not only has that sense of old final fantasy, but it adds an extra layer of intensity and depth to it. This is truly a great game, not perfect, because it starts very slow, but after a while it is excellent!!

The game's storyline is not for impatient, action-driven fans. As earlier comments have said, the plot centers on the situation and it's implications on Ivalice rather than the characters. Considering the relative maturity of the characters, I found this refreshing compared to other RPGs. It's not a game for everyone, but a lot of the hate and dislike at it is by no means earned; most seem unable to express that this game was just not for them, citing instead 'I didn't see any story!' when indeed the plot was rather interesting. The game has some pacing problems, but rest assured the storyline is there, and fleshed out.… Expand

Square-Enix boldly takes its flagship series to an all-new direction that combines the best qualities of Western and Japanese RPGs. Finally removing the random battles makes Final Fantasy XII the most immersive and fluent game in the series. Some of the characters actually break the traditional and tired JRPG mold, and the quality of the storytelling and the dialogue with its different dialects is on a level previously unseen in any video game.… Expand

How did this game get such a high rating??? I saw one dude mention that this was the best game in the series; are you freakin kidding me? Look, if you're looking for a graphics intensive game then this one is "O.K.". If you're an actual RPG fan then chances are you expect a little more story line; which was total garbage. The game plays nothing like the previous games in the series. Try to imagine a MMORPG, now imagine playing it by yourself. That's the exact same experience you'll get out of this; Square Enix put so much into making this into a single player FF11(also trash!). 10 was a good game, 9 was ok(opinions vary), 8 was pretty damn good and 7 was amazing(the absolute best; hands down), Tactics was freakin great. This game; was a piece of shit. Nuff said.… Expand

Excellent graphics, and the grid system adds a level of customization to characters. The world has very good looking and very varied looks. FFXII does a lot of things better than any JRPG before, however it is very lacking in the most important area: Story. The characters are uninteresting, unmotivated, and bizarrely uninvolved.

This game is a disgrace to all of the other final fantasy games that came before,every thing about this game is just completly awfu! Ever since suare soft ceased to be the producer of final fantasy games and allowed Square Enix to take over every thing about Final Fantasy went straight down the F!%$@#G toilet.At first I thought that final fantasy X-2 was the worst...but I was F*&%$#@G wrong wasn't I.Final Fantasy X-2 was one of the worst Final Fantasy games ever made but it is still a million times better than Final Fantasy XIII.No one can ever deny that the best Final Fantasy games in the world were the ones produced by SQARE SOFT for the play station one.This game is so horrible that I am not even going to bother write a detailed review about it,all you need to know is to stay as far away from this game as possible and do not buy it because it is a waste of money.… Expand

I played final fantasy tactics and no other final fantasy games. I was very impressed with this game for the first 20 hours or so, but then the monotony got to me. All you do is go to a new area, beat up everything, kill the boss and get new weapons. For all the strategies suggested online - throw them away! Just hit everything until it dies. In a word: boring.

Quite simply one of the best in the series. However those people with short attention spans, who want everything to just kick off without knowing the story, will not find this game to be their cup of tea. The battle system allows you to either, have all character run on auto-pilot or wait for your every command. You can be as lazy or active as you want. The game has an engaging and realistic storyline centering on the evils of power, corruption, and war. These three topics are ever prominent in governments and can easily be seen in recent history if one looks close enough. Even though there is really no "major character" everyone has an equal contribution in the story. The characters, in general, are enjoyable. Each one has their own quirks and weaknesses and in one way or another develops as the story progresses. The graphics were absolutely breath taking with so much detail and lighting it felt as though you were actually standing there. The voice acting was quite simply the best I have ever seen in a game. The words and mouths match up perfectly and each actor put there whole being into the characters which really brought them to life. It was easy to tell what the characters were feeling. The game was all round great with intellectual conversations and a mature and intense stories of the evils man is capable of. I would easily recommend this game to others.… Expand

It's been a year- still a great story- I still love going to Rabanastre, out into the vast deserts- THAT is still the main charm, of being in a magical desert city surrounded by vast spaces to explore. Musical still gret- gameplay: Battle system excellent- but way too mych reptitititition...I really get to feeling sorry for the hundreds and hundreds of wolves I had to kill. But, yes, please make us another large scale epic game featuring Ivalice.… Expand

Maybe now that the undeserving hype has died down, we can start seeing some realistic reviews on this crap game - I mean even the producer offered an apology for the nearly non-existent story, citing development time constraints! If a bunch of static, uninteresting characters standing around shouting their first, middle, and last names at each other repeatedly is your idea of "epic" writing, then FFXII is the game for you. If, however, you're not a Squeenix zombie and actually have a brain in your head, then stay far, far away from this RPG beta. Epic...right. A dead person could have written a better story.… Expand

As someone who has played every Final Fantasy since IV, I can honestly say this is one of the best Final Fantasy games. Instead of trying to make every game into Final Fantasy VII, Squenix has taken a different route with XII. Instead of focuson in the characters, the story focuses on the situation. Instead of repetitively selecting the same few commands every time you run into a foreseeable situation, XII allows you to plan ahead. The strategy is still there, but it's done in advance. Perhaps the best thing about this game is that it's so engrossing. The world of Ivalice takes on a life of it's own. For type of regular enemy, there's a page that describes one aspect of Ivalice, whether it's a place or a clan or an event. My advice to anyone who gives this game a score around 7 is to go back and play it a second time, because if you like it the first time, you'll love it the second time.… Expand

I found this FF to be an enjoyable one, and while it's still not that amazing I think it's a decent game, and reminds me more of a 'western' rpg than a Japaneses one. I didn't have a problem with the characters, and I guess I'm among the few people who prefer Vaan over Cloud, Squall or Tidus. The story could also have been worked on, but I guess it's not that bad, although I don't really agree with the fact that it's 'very political', it wasn't that complicated. I found the battle system to be good, with the gambits you can actually get a chance to customize how you want to play, and you can also move around which gives you more interaction with battles. Many people prefer ATB, but I think that system also has it's own faults, it was far from perfect. ( I think it worked best in FF9) I have to add that I really liked the soundtrack, even though I'm not that into epic fantasy music, it was very enjoyable for me, I generally like Sakimoto's work. All in all this game does have an 'experimental' feel to it, but judging from the looks of FFXIII they will be back to the old track that 6, or rather 7 started, but I hope we get to see more Ivalice stuff too, since I prefer that.… Expand

Sick, must play for rpg lovers, great story, great voice acting, best rpg out on consoles.

I'll be the first to admit that this game won't appeal to everyone; however, to claim it's not as good as a prior Final Fantasy is a worthless assertion as each game is completely different. The music in this game does not suffer one bit from Uematsu's departure; it is grand, epic, and pleasant to the ears. The combat system is highly entertaining and ONLYlets you be as lazy as YOU want to be. I just wanted to stress that. Whoever says this game plays itself has not played in excess of the first 5 hours, I can promise you that. The characters in this game are well-developed with their own personalities and quirks. If you've liked the previous FF games, or if you'd just like a wonderful RPG well worth anyone's time, this is for you. Enjoy it for what it is.… Expand

Definitely the best RPG of our generation, there isn't really a bad thing to be said about the game. However, immature, impatient people will NOT appreciate the story, gameplay, or character developement as much as many others have. All of that said, the Sakimoto soundtrack is so good I freaking bought it, the graphics are as good as you will find anywhere else, and the voice acting is good.

Okay, I just got home happy and thinking "Oh wow, Final Fantasy XII, the best thing I'd bought an entire year!" Then I locked myself to my room and the hell was loose. First couple hours were just enjoyable; I've just witnessed kingslaughret, everytime-better-getting-CGIs, met the main characters, getting introduced to promising good story, met interesting side-characters (Old Dalan, Migelo etc.) and so on. At that point of game I just thought "OMG this game is going to b the best forever!". Then I started the mob hunts, which made me feel like "Oh dear lord, can this game get any better?" Since the gambits weren't really hard to get in for me, I was sure that the game couldn't get any better. I was right. It got WORSE. At first I barely noticed it, but the story started to break up a little. What happened to all those side characters that I got introduced with nearly the whole beginning of the game? Why the heroes began to act like they were in a bad karate movie? (Someone talks an hour, then we go to somewhere, there we either fight like maniacs which isn't bad of course, or just run from one corner to another of place and do a mission or two) Seriously, I was really conserning that Final Fantasy makers had actually made A POOR STORY. I played through the Phoan Coast, Salikawood, Jagds, multiple caverns, and IN NONE OF THEM nearly any kind of character developement did occur. I realized how hollow the plot actually was. Then I got to the Archades where the plot started to get on and move at GOOD rate. Draklor laboratories, the Pharos Cataphract, Bahamut... they all were nice places. Both by gameplay and story, which finally started to get together again. But then the game was just finished. I just flinched and all by surprise taken out the final boss. I was certainly happy, and then later tried to remember what happened in the game. Oddly, I didn't remember much anything; only everything that resolved around the Empire; the Judges, Vossler, Leviathan, Bahamut (a.k.a the Death Star rip-off). I noticed that the game didn't offer me nearly any kind of memories of it, which was shame, the game was still pretty good and I was still working on mob hunts which even these days keep me entertained. So, enough chit-chatting then. Time to sum all that nonsense together: My review: + Gameplay -it's like playing Kingdom Hearts, but it's still good + Sidequests - there're PLENTY times PLENTY of them and I have done a little over half of them... in 25 hours!! They keep you really entertained for a long period. + Graphics -were there any doubt of it? + Monsters -there were a lot of them and plenty of variety too and were all unique in a way or another + Story (periodically) -it actually had some addictive moments in the start and the end + Leveling Up- system -many can oppose this, but to me it was pretty simple and from Squenix a good try to test something new - Story (more peridiocally) -overall, it didn't make me feel anthing. It was so hollow that I wondered if I could transfer the story from another FF (X for instance) and keep the rest, then we'd have a good game - Character developement - seriously, after the start of the game ends and the story starts really going, nothing happens here. Just some "Basch is not a traitor" going on forever and that's that. I really was disappointed here, it could've been far better. - Environments -yeah, they are large, but normally just annoingly large grassy plain or dungeon. Luckily the monster variety is a bit larger. Sorry for a long talk, it's just my way to do it!… Expand

This game sucked and is probably the worst out of the other ones... first off turn based hello I don't wanna end up walking around and just clicking one button and watching a useless and boring combat system... SE I had high hopes for you but you created a piece of crap I hope FF13 is a huge improvement over this garbage

Of all the 3D FF games this is the most original and sophisticated since Cloud Strife premiered. It is different, but unlike many of these childish reviews, I am not going to disregard it simply on the grounds that it is not using materia, and doesn't feature Sephiroth. Each FF game is a unique entity on its own, and should thus be reviewed on its own merits, not on the expectation that it should resemble a prior effort. There are several brilliant design aspects to 12, such as the gambit system. This allows a player to take command of his party instead of being a micromanager of all its aspects. You can interrupt a Gambit sequence anytime you want to take charge in a difficult fight. You can also simply turn them off all together if you so choose. So knocking a game based off an optional feature is not logical nor fair. Secondly, the customization options are fantastic. You can designate any character you chose as a healer or tank etc. The Marks (creature hunts) are also extremely fun and a much better side quest than say Chocobo racing. Graphically speaking this is the best FF to date and the monster designs are original and offer a ton of variety. I have played all the FF games and can say this is a fantastic effort and an instant classic. For true fans who have played the Tactics games you will not be disappointed as this seems to merge the two concepts in some ways. The story is epic and the voice acting is grand. The score is also very good, although not quite as memorable. You will understand why the toughest reviewers (Famitsu) game it a 40/40.… Expand

A beautiful game with the great usual Final Fantasy audio touch and a great cast of characters all pulling the weight of a terrible combat system and unorthodox storyline. Final Fantasy 12 may have the very basic elements of a Final Fantasy, but the story gameplay is sub-par. Not only lacks an incentive to beat the game but lacks a fun factor as well.

The best RPG on PS2. Anyone who says FFX is better than this likes linear interactive movies that focus too much on story over gameplay.

A refreshing change to a great series with fun side quests and an amazing story.The characters are not as good as previous games in the series but the rest more then makes up for that.

The best gameplay ever in the FF series for me. I'm glad to hear FFXIII will expand on FFXII's formula. Now lets get the crazy plot/characters back!

awsome game this is amazing. Some people think this game is bad but have you seen the graphics wow. The gameplay is amazing along with the coolest characters. To the dumbass that said you can't move the camera it's called the right analogue stick try useing it. So this game has a good storyline to it and the people that said this game has a bad storyline you probaly skipped trough all the scenes.… Expand

This game was just terrible. Simple. There is no awesome nemesis, no interesting main character (ok, Vaan is the main character but he's just not memorable or has anything about him remotely... interesting), and no involving storyline. The rest of the final fantasy series has always been original, involving and epic, but this seemed to go for epic and ignore the rest. I must admit i gave up after about 14 hours of gameplay because it just wasn't fun. If by 14 hours your playing a game that just seems a chore, thats a pretty strong singla your wasting your time. It's got good graphics though, which is pretty much the only benefit. One more thing! You get all the characters so early, there just doesn't seem anything to work for. I don't get what Square Enix was doing making this, it was embarrasing.… Expand

I've read the reviews that claim this is amazing once you get inside, but I'm unconvinced and not inclined to bother. Very boring gameplay to begin; far, far, far too many beautiful but ultimately pointless and annoying cutscenes (skip 3 in a row, anyone?); and WTF? no option to invert the view controls. That for me is a deal breaker - it requires (I assume) virtually no effort on the part of developers, just a modicum of respect for the way my brain prefers to work. Can't rank it higher, no matter what others say.… Expand