Final Fantasy XII

Good Morning. Is it morning all ready?

We're traipsing through the Westersand deserts looking 4 Lord Wyvern & Lord Wraith's Tomb.

So far,
all my party members have 3 Mist attacks each.
Vaan is at level 25
Basch at 26. I love Basch - 4 a game character he has charisma.
Playing as Fran is an interesting view, too.
(This game is true 3d, you can swivel the camera 2 look up.)

This time through the game, I was hoping 2 mix-up the Mist attacks 2 see the characters in new graphics. But, no matter which LP tile I activated, it defaulted 2 the character's original Mist Attack.

I had Fran & Balthier at the same tile, the mist tile name changed with the character. I wanted 2 see Basch do the 'whip-attack' kick thing. Alas, a-none good nurse. The highest Mist chain I managed was 11-hits, the bonus attack was Torrent.


The Lhusu Mine is a great place 2 level up. Once I smashed all the undead skeletons & defenders, I hit the R2 2 Flee three screens & then Flee back 2 regenerate the skeletons. I chained 123 skeletons.

The treasure urn as your coming around the corner where the mine forks, 3 times out of 4 gave me Gil, but, then it offered up a Killer Bow.
I sold a bunch of Loot & the ammunition appeared under BaZaar. Parallel Arrows 4 the Killer Bow & Silencing shot 4 the Capella.
(Onion Shot & Onion Arrows are 4 sale outside the entrance 2 Nalbina Fortress.)


The Marquis kinda reminds me of Christopher Lambert.


Time 2 pace myself & get some work done, before returning 2 the Westersands.

Before going on with the review, I'd like 2 say that I've been a fan of the Final Fantasy series since Final Fantasy VI came out, I've played & finished every FF from FF4 2 FF10 & based on the reviews I had read about FFXII, I was kind of scared when I received the game from amazon & put in my PS2. Let me tell you, the fear dissipated very fast.

Let's start with gameplay! The new battle system is very smooth, I certainly didn't the random encounters! The gambit system(the AI that you set up 4 your party characters) is fairly intuitive & once you understand, it makes leveling up & fighting in general very enjoyable. A minor set back is the loading time on black magic spells, which make them less efficient than physical attacks, except when dealing with multiple foes. Another problem is the camera angles, which can be realy hard 2 adjust 2 & when battling big bosses (and there's some really big ones) or big beasts, it is near impossible 2 find an angle 2 see the monster properly. But it is something you get used 2 & it doesn't take any enjoyment out of the game. Gamers who enjoy side quests will certainly love this game, as there is well over 100 hours' worth of side optional stuff 2 complete including some very challenging bosses (some of the most challenging in the history of the series) & a pretty fun mini-game (fishing). One drawback, which I think is a bit shameful of Square, is that some of the side quests will be near impossible (if not impossible period) 2 complete without the strategy guide, particularly regarding some of the best weapons in the game. I highly recommend that you buy the guide along with the game.

Now, onto the graphics. The game, esthetically, is simply gorgeous. The environments are very detailed, every city has a distinct personality & architecture, as do the temples & dungeons. The CG scenes are breathtaking, as is expected of Square. The ending sequences were probably the best of the series, in my opinion anyway. Another plus is the voice acting & dialogue, with are top notch. For the first time in the history of FF, the dialogue is actually interesting! The voice acting is so much better than FFX's, it's in sync with the lip movement, & the actors are quite good, particularly Balthier (a sky pirate who I must say is probably the coolest FF character in a loooooong time).

Now the plot, which is a very important part of an RPG. I read many reviews of people who were disappointed by the story & the character development. Now it is true that the core of the game is not a love story as it was in FFVIII & FFX (something I am personally thankful for) & it wasn't as much a story of 'save the world from total absolute annihilation!' as it was in FFVII. But the plot is actually quite mature, with political intrigue, clever dialogue, an interesting history as well as mythology, & a lot of detail about the different world cultures given by all the NPCs in the different locations of the world. As far as setting goes, FF fans should feel right at ease as moogles, airships & chocobos are once again present. While I do think some things could have been developped further & that the characters' backgrounds could have been elaborated on more (Vaan who serves as main character is not as central 2 the main plotline as some of the other characters of the cast), but I think the plot is the most mature yet in a FF game & I hope they continue in this direction.

To sum it up, this game is one of the best game in the series, previous fans of Final Fantasy will find many elements 2 make them feel at ease in the environment, & new players 2 the series will probably have an easier time adapting 2 this than FFX or previous installements (mostly due 2 the disappearance of the random encounter system). The gameplay is fun, the battles challenging, 150+ hours of play guaranteed. The storyline is complex & mature, the graphics are better than any other in the series. In other words, if you're an RPG fan, this game is a must buy. Five stars, despite its few faults! A good step forward in FF evolution. Don't forget 2 buy the guide along with the game! I know it feels like a rip off, but it is well worth it 2 fully enjoy one of the best RPGs available.

This is probably in my opinion one of the better Action/RPG games on PS2. The story line is great, the characters are great & the action is endless.

This game is a great sequel 2 the other Final Fantasy games, 1-11. I have played most of these & this game is one of the most fun Final Fantasy games. If you need 2 use a guide 4 any of the games it would be this one, it can get really confusing & hard 2 find want 2 do. Overall this is a great game & a great buy.

Okay i love Final fantasy, But in all reality 12 was not the best one. Don't get me wrong the game i loved it, but it fails 2 comparison with the other FF Games. Especially when camparing 2 6 & 7, yea six has those 2d graphics & 7 was the first ff on the psone. But still the story lines mad a little more sence.

In this game you learn more about Ivalice, This world was brought 2 life origanally in Final fantasy tactics, & of the war well you start out as Rex, only 2 be killed, & then you take controle of Vaan Rex's younger brother. It really dose take some time 4 the true intentions 2 become known, Especially after Vaine kills Judge Drace & his own father. now a few of the dungons are longer than expected. The wepons can be used by anyone witch i find as a down side 2 this as in previuse games you hade 2 be a certain class 2 handle certain wepons. I did like the character designs. & a friend pointed out Ashe's Butt Actually dose swing like it was real. The side quests 4 the sumonings got tiresome. And the hunt system was kinda borring. And inorder 2 get your summons you need 2 compleat hunts. Granted it took me 50 hours 2 compleate the game with out side quests. The story line like other reviews say is slow 2 start but it dose get better as time progresses on. All in all i loved playing it & would pick it up again. & maybetry 2 finish the side quests but who knows. But definitly a good game

Two years after the fall of Dalmasca, the citizens are without guidance & direction. In the capital city of Rabanastre, the denizens gather & await the introduction of Archadia's new consul. To Vaan, a young man living on the streets of Rabanastre, the Empire is a hated enemy who took the life of his brother, the only family he had left. In an effort 2 exact revenge, Vaan hatches a plot 2 break into the palace & steal from the occupying imperials. There, he gets more than he bargained 4 as he runs into Princess Ashe, the sole surviving heir 2 the Dalmascan throne. Together, the two will embark on an incredible journey through Ivalice, tracing the mysteries behind the Archadian Empire's invasion. The choices they make will determine the very fate of the world. License board gives the player the ability 2 customize each character's skills & abilities