Final Fantasy XII

By Liam O'Connor

Final Fantasy is one of those games that remind you how painful it is to be a PAL gamer. We were denied any of them until the arrival of Final Fantasy VII – and when we do get them, they’re late and they’re bordered. But they always rule; so we always take it on the chin and then ask for more.

Final Fantasy games have always been independent of each other, but with the exception if XI, they have always followed a formula and had a sense of tradition. The latest instalment of Final Fantasy decides to once again break the mould. Not as badly as its predecessor did: this is not a MMORPG – though it could almost be mistaken for one...

That’s mainly because unlike previous Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy XII does away with the random battles. That’s right, no random battles! The environments will load and the enemies will all be there for you to see before you engage them, much like a MMORPG.

The battle system is still menu driven, but also borrows from Final Fantasy XI and KOTOR. Know as the ADB system, the player will be able to control all party members, and allocate them freely to make use of the terrain. They will then issue orders to party members that will be executed after a short wait.

Although the battle system will displease purists, the lack of random battles is a welcome one. There will still be surprise attacks – enemies will leap up from behind rocks, etc – but there will be no more walking for five seconds before getting into yet another battle.

You’ll also be able to summon creatures again, and also utilise new limit breaks known as Quickenings. You might also want to make use of Gambits, which allow you to pre-program certain actions for certain situations in battle. And if you really want, you can hire a chocobo and avoid battles altogether.

But game-play is only half of the reason you play a Final Fantasy game. The other half is the stories; and while hardly Dickens, they are usually some of the best to be found in video games.

Far be it for me to ruin it for you, but here’s what you can know, spoiler free. The game takes place in the land of Ivalice, which is divided into three regions. The story is politically motivated, and will provide more depth and make a refreshing change from the save-the-universe plots we’ve grown accustomed to.

It’s also nice to know that effeminate poster boy Vaan is not the main character. Indeed, the story will take you through six different characters, again mixing up a formula that many have found to be growing stale.

With critical acclaim overseas, Final Fantasy XII already looks to be a winner – despite, or because of, the changes. Set for a release sometime in the first half of 2007, it looks set to be a final hurrah for the PlayStation 2. Given that most of the changes are positive, and given that things have been given a spring clean, it looks like Final Fantasy XII could be one of the greatest RPGs of all time, and an excellent swansong for the PS2. Stay tuned for a full review shortly!

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