The last 'Adequate' Final Fantasy was released well back in 2001 and introduced a whole pletherer of changes to graphics, gameplay and story. Six years later and Square have moved up a gear and made so many more changes to this installment that outwits FFX in every way.
Graphically the game ... Read review
The UK has always had a very unique taste in games, never comparable exactly to either the ... more
U.S. or Europe. As such, Japanese role-playing games have never been very successful here, even such worldwide blockbusters as the Final Fantasy series. No matte...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The UK has always had a very unique taste in games, never comparable exactly to either the ... more
U.S. or Europe. As such, Japanese role-playing games have never been very successful here, even such worldwide blockbusters as the Final Fantasy series. No matte...
Postage & Packaging: £1.94 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Revenant Wings is a tactical adventure game which can be controlled entirely with the ... more
stylus. To move Vaan, tap on him and then tap on a location on the touch screen. To attack an enemy creature, tap on Vaan and then tap on the creature to initiate hostilities. Instead of switching to an alternate encounter screen, Vaan swings immediately upon reaching the beast and all fighting takes place on the same world screen.One year after the events of Final Fantasy XII, the young protagonist Vaan travels the skies of Ivalice with his trusted navigator Penelo at his side. Their treasure hunting adventures take them to the sky continent of Lemurs where they meet Llyud, a member of the aegyl race. These mysterious winged people have been living on the floating continent for centuries, but a disturbance has allowed treasure-seeking sky pirates to breach their once-hidden territory. It falls to Vaan and his band of young sky pirates to stand up against the trespassers, and defend this extraordinary world and its people.Experience the next installment in the Ivalice Alliance, a series of titles set in the same fantastical game world as Final Fantasy XII and the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. Stunning CG movies make full use of the Nintendo DS hardware-lavishly rendered sequences are displayed across both screens, giving users a new way of experiencing cinematic cutscenes.Intuitive Touch Screen functionality allows players to command, plan and execute attacks with ease-control massive armies, unleash special attacks and activate Gambits with the use of the stylus-driven interface.The Ring of Pacts enables users to pick and choose from over 50 familiar summons such as Belias and Mateus.
Experience an epic tale that takes you one year beyond the amazing events of the hugely ... more
popular Final Fantasy XII.Control legendary Final Fantasy characters intuitively, using the innovative stylus and touchscreen of the Nintendo DS system.Stunning, fully detailed 3D graphics bring the fantastic land of Ivalice to life and fully push the capability of the Nintendo DS.Real-time battles using the innovative Gambit system from Final Fantasy XII offers accessible gameplay for all users.Collect and synthesise items and treasure to uncover even rarer special artefacts!Epic, context-sensitive music soundtrack from the composer of Final Fantasy XII.
Postage & Packaging:free Super Saver Delivery Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Cinematic Storyline - Exquisite Graphics Disadvantages: Fans may not like the obvious changes
The last 'Adequate' Final Fantasy was released well back in 2001 and introduced a whole pletherer of changes to graphics, gameplay and story. Six years later and Square have moved up a gear and made so many more changes to this installment that outwits FFX in every way.
Graphically the game is stunning as to be expected winning hands down to even FFX. Facial expressions are highly detailed recognising each emotion the character emits, ... .../>
The story of every Final Fantasy game has never been more central than this. Usually the story revolves around the central character, but here the story of the rest of the world is mixed with the story of the main characters to produce a really breath taking experience.
The story starts where an inevitable fate is nearing. A war is set to happen between two big empires, Rozarria and Archadia and anything in between will be crushed. ... more
The last 'Adequate' Final Fantasy was released well back in 2001 and introduced a whole pletherer of changes to graphics, gameplay and story. Six years later and Square have moved up a gear and made so many more changes to this installment that outwits FFX in every way.
Graphically the game is stunning as to be expected winning hands down to even FFX. Facial expressions are highly detailed recognising each emotion the character emits, with cheeks, mouths and eyes all moving realistically. Character design resembles a sort of medevil world and obviously influenced by their own PSOne RPG Vagrant Story and to some degree Koudelka. Environments are all detailed well in 3D and add to the Invalice world making it seem authentic and real. Animation is brilliant and the six years in making obviously shows through.
Medevil castles give a great aluring designs like Nalbina Fortress, whilst the city of Rabanstre is full of merchants and all types of people. Free enviroments like the Dalmascan Esterland and the Giza plains are extremely atmospheric with breaming landscapes full of barren land, sand and fully feldged realistic clouds. Honestly there is nothing to fault with FFXII graphically.
One noticeable thing about the world of FFXII is that it emphasises the term Fantasy to whole new level, one that i think hasn't been done since FF IX. First seen in the Tactics series, the world of Invalice offers a well politically built world that lures you instantly with its range of sceneries, races and laws. Not just a few well placed NPC's, but a whole screen full of them are walking around the streets and cities of each place brings the whole place to life.
Cities are inhabitated by a range of civilisations that all have their own set of personalities, aims and relationships. There are Humes showing referances to 'Humans' and consist of many of the people you play as. The Viera are a tranquil and peaceful race that like to live with nature seen by their rabbit like ears and animalistic formed feet. Moogles make an expected return to FF XII and serve more as engineers in the game to most other races. Bangaa's are all different colours to show the type of personality they have for example a yellow one means the Bangaa is a more friendly type. Then they're the Seeq, who are basic intelligence wise than any other race in Invalice. They take up jobs such as merchants because they see money as a way of life.
I see this step by Square to be an excellent investment. Never has the player been so drawn into a world by the characters alone. This also brings a sense of maturity and complexity to Invalice as in real life.
The story of every Final Fantasy game has never been more central than this. Usually the story revolves around the central character, but here the story of the rest of the world is mixed with the story of the main characters to produce a really breath taking experience.
The story starts where an inevitable fate is nearing. A war is set to happen between two big empires, Rozarria and Archadia and anything in between will be crushed. Archadia pushes west towards Rozarria and lands upon the small kingdom of Dalmasca and this is where our story begins.
In pre-Imperial Dalmasca a small band of troops are left to stand against the take over by the Archadians and set off to stop their King from signing a treaty of peace. Already at the beginning of the game the player is drawn into the strong sense of justice that this game offers and you follow every move of betrayal that comes as a strong surprise.
Fast forward two years to Imperial Dalmasca in particular the captial Rabanastre where the installment of a new consul offers a chance of peace to the people of Dalmasca. Vaan and a band of ophans seem dismayed by Vayne Solidors efforts and set off on a historical journey to free the kingdom from the clutches of tyranny.
This story evolves in a cinematic sort of way that is presented in the manner of Shakespeare. Every city has a history of its own as well as the characters you meet upon your journey and its fantastic to watch as each event falls into place then suddenly re-shapes itself again. This established story of power and history entices you to play on and is well worth it to see the exciting moments of highly charged emotional drama.
The main character is Vaan, a well rounded lad voiced by Bobby Edner who starred in Spy Kids 3D. Edner does a good job though at acting a well thought out dialogue and puts much emotion into the scenes of high drama. Vaan as a character at times feels undeveloped compared to other FF main characters but his personality really surges through about his ambitions to be a Sky pirate where he sees his freedom in the skies.
Ashe, heir to the throne of Dalmasca mis leads the world into beliveing that she had killed herself upon the death of her husband Rasler early on in the game, but her strong will to fight and of justice to prevail means she joins the quest to free her country from Archadia. Voiced by Kari Wahlgren, Wahlgren is no stranger to voice acting in games and provides a fully fledged emotional appearance in every scene. Her experience really brings the character to life and makes her lines even more believable.
Basch, Captain of the Order of Knights joins Lady Ashe on the quest for freedom and his appearance adds a sense of heroism to quest. His fighting experience reallly shines through in the cinematic side of the story and Keith Ferguson provides a well acted perfomance.
(Anyone see a resemblance to Final Fantasy IX yet??)
Best friend to Vaan, Penelo seems to get dragged along in every quest Vaan gets involved in and her flamboyant yet logical nature really adds a humour to the game. Catherine Taber again acts the character well, but there are times when her voice doesn't fit the particular scene and at times seems silly or over acted.
The other two characters Balthier the Sky Pirate and Fran the Viera provide their own unique style to the group and suit the group as a whole. But at times you can't help thinking that their characters are just placed into situations at times to fill in any gaps that the writers had.
Already mentioning Voice acting which is astounding the rest of the soundtrack is well chosen for each environment and mixes in old recognisable tunes from previous games with brand new ones and it all sounds spectacular.
Gameplay is where the game really changes from the previous installments. Combat is hugely different and makes the experience considerably different than most RPG fans are use to. Almost a little similar to the Kingdom Hearts series players will be able to move around in battle and evade attacks easier. Random battles are done away with here and you encounter battles in real time on screen. The benefit of this means that game flows much more efficiently. Characters simply wait for their bar to fill and then the action chosen can be preformed.
At times this seems a little dense but the emphasis is placed on the tactics of the battle rather than the attack. The gambit system allows you to build up the AI of your characters and ultimately means you can allow your own characters to make the decisions in battle and you dont have to do much. This doesn't take the enjoyment out of the game though because its much more strategic. However there are bad parts to this. For instance because the battles plan out by tarding blows you could be dead before your characters bar has reached maximum to heal themselves meaning you are more likely to lose. This adds a complexity to the game because it is a little more difficult than previous installments.
The liscence board is where you can upgrade your characters in sense of abilites and spells. You have to spends the points aquired by battling to gain these new abilited by moving around the board. Don't be fooled into thinking that it is similar to FFX's sphere grid because it is entirely different. You cant help thinking that the board and the way it plays out looks very similar to a real board game. You can only unlock things next to the square you are on. At times it can be extremely annoying and since the board is the same for each character you may find yourself developing your characters in the same way.
A bad thing though is the camera angle.You find yourself moving the camera around manually a lot to stop it from hitting a wall and getting yourself stuck in stupid places. It would have been better to have a fixed camera in well placed areas.
Aeons or GF's make a return known as Espers and many of them have to be unlocked. I was quite dismayed that some of my favourites do not make a return and all of them are brand new, but i can see that some may enjoy the new experience. All of them have their own element as obviously can provide useful power to battles.
Overall, Final Fantasy XII is a well designed and well made game that offers a mature story full of power, politics and emotional justice. There are some side quests and apart from the Espers, many are unrewarding but playable.The changes made to the controversial combat system is fantastic because it makes a brave attempt at something different. If it kept the same ATB battle system nothing much would have changed and therefore not making any steps forward at improving itself. I just hope eveyone takes the changes well and gives the game a chance before instantly disgracing everything that the game offers giving players the chance to play for over 80 hours.
Game INFO:
1 Player 94KB Memory Card Vibration enabled. Price: Range from £27 - £39
Advantages: Consistently detailed graphics, fairly solid fighting system Disadvantages: Clumsy license board, weak story and characters, voice acting spoiled
...the Archadian Empire.
In Final Fantasy XII the story is an uneventful one and it does not help that you are sidetracked for significant sections of the game before anything does happen. As such, it gives the impression that the cut-scenes have been used to show off its dialogue and accents - both of which seemed dubious at times. Yet, despite the numerous cut-scenes - which luckily you can skip this time around - the character development for an-already-weak ... ...somewhat of a surprise that Final Fantasy XII would be presented in a Dolby Pro Logic II format, considering also when the music has many a muted moment, bordering on inaccessible with Hitoshi Sakimoto's compositions not being so melody-lead as those by Nobuo Uematsu. Though the qualities are there to be heard it'll still be Uematsu's pieces which you'll be humming after play despite Hitoshi composing the majority of the game's soundtrack.
Final ...
scream4bruce 01.09.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
Advantages: Improved battle system, fantastic graphics, hours and hours of play Disadvantages: Score gets a bit boring, can take a while for areas to load
...a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series of games and have played (and completed) most of them. I love the way the combination of exceptional graphics, complex storyline and multiple sub-plots immerse me in a fantasy world. Final Fantasy XII (FFXII) is no exception and I must say it’s probably my favourite of the series. As with all the Final Fantasy (FF) games, this is a RPG or Role Playing Game, where the player takes on the role of a hero in a world ... ...persona of Vaan, a young street rat, a mere boy whose brother was treacherously murdered 2 years ago and while looking for revenge Vaan finds himself in a position where the fate of his home town and indeed whole world falls in his hands. The plot is well thought out, if a little contrived in places and needs to be followed in order for the game to be completed. As well as the main plot there are a number of sub-plots and mini-games that make this ...
sandemp 04.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
Advantages: Plot, graphics, characters, sound... Disadvantages: Long - at least 40 hours, can be repetitive and tedious, license system
...been slightly addicted to the Final Fantasy games, when I have time to play them - which at the moment isn't a lot. But I've always admired the complex plots and characters which can immerse me in an entirely new world for hours at a time until I finally look at the clock and suddenly realise how long I've been playing for. But is this new addition up to scratch, to give credit it couldn't be much worse than X-2 or XI but when you bring it against ... ...==Plot==
The plot for Final Fantasy XII is a completely different style from any of the other Final Fantasy games, every other FF I have played has had an epic story line that you watch unfold and has an ever lasting impact on the lives of everyone in the game. This isn't quite the same in this newer version, you have more of a political game which is concerned with political intricacies and philosophical concerns. The basic idea is that the Archadian ...
Secre 03.01.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
Advantages: Great graphics and attention to detail Disadvantages: Lack of obvious sub quests
...from any game in the Final Fantasy series. In this game the normal graphics are beginning to rival the cinematic sequences, which are more than a few seconds and give this game a real sense of excitement.
The storyline is developed immediately, along with what could be considered the tutorial part of the game in which you control a soldier called Reks. This tutorial explains enough of the basics, but not all at once and still leaves some for the ... ...more experienced players or those who are playing through the game a second time. The story starts with a war against a far larger empire known as Archadia against what becomes your country, called Dalmasca. I won’t spoil the rest, but I think it would be appropriate if there were one or two twists in the plot, since it is fairly predictable throughout the game.
It is obvious the story is similar to FF9, with events like a princess who asks to ...
iancozens12 25.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
Advantages: Hands down the best final fantasy yet. Disadvantages: Its pretty long, and maybe a little complicated for those new to the genre
...protaganist as with most other Final Fantasy games.
So down to the nitty gritty.. Graphically it really is excellent, with some great character animation (characters eyes move in conversation for example, a nice touch that really adds depth). The voice acting is top notch, and as always, the music has that distinctive FF atmosphere and feel. The world around you is now in full 3D too, so no longer are you unable to run over that patch of grass on ... ...anywhere. Again, a welcome change.
So whats different this time around? Well, if you're a fan of the series you will no doubt have heard about the battle system changes. No longer are you greeted with a swirling mass of psychedelia every time you enter a battle, oh no. Now, although still 'turn based', you can not only see monsters roaming about in the field ( and thus avoid them if you want) but you can also directly control character movement ...
ricinulei 16.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
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Advantages: I suppose the intro movie is nice Disadvantages: Terrible control system, rehashed graphics, stupidly difficult, cheesy plot
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Revevnant Wings is a spin off game from the last PS2FinalFantasy, XII (12). The story carries on a year after XII, with the returning characters of Vaan, Penelo, Balthier, Fran and others. The plot (like XIIs) is a little vague and hard to grasp, but its generally about protecting a crystal called aurocite from scavenging sky pirates, and fighting a baddie known as the "Judge of Wings". I don't really get it as the player collects Aurocite during the game so in a sense you are just as bad as the baddies. Sigh, plot aside, lets review the game.
Gameplay 9/10
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Product Information for "Final Fantasy XII (PS2)" »
Product details
Publisher
Square Enix
Developer
Square Enix
Release Date
23rd February 2007
Age
16+
Genre
Role-Playing Game (RPG)
Max Number of Players
1 Player
Platform
PlayStation 2
Aka
Final Fantasy 12
Manufacturer's product description
The story of FINAL FANTASY XII takes place in a world called "Ivalice," in an age when magic was commonplace and airships plied the skies, crowding out the heavens. A world of many races, the humes, bangaa, viera and, of course, moogles, all call Ivalice home.
War was on the horizon. Seeking to strengthen its base of power, the great Archadian Empire had been invading and subjugating its neighboring kingdoms one by one. The small Kingdom of Dalmasca was one such kingdom.
When the occupying Archadian forces established a new consul in Dalmasca's Royal City of Rabanastre, it caught the attention of Vaan, an urchin living on the streets. To Vaan, the Empire was a hated enemy who had taken the life of his brother his last surviving family member. Vaan hatched a plan to sneak into the castle housing the new consul and unburden him of one or two of his treasures. But before he would have the chance, Vaan got far more than he bargained for; a resistance movement of former Dalmascan soldiers rising up against the Archadian Empire was launching an assault! Amid the ensuing confusion that engulfed the castle, Vaan saw something he could scarcely believe. There, among the members of the resistance, was the figure of the sole remaining heir to the Dalmascan throne, the Princess Ashe, who'd been given up for missing...
Our story follows Vaan, Ashe, Vaan's friend Penelo, the sky pirate Balthier, his partner Fran and many more on an adventure through Ivalice that traces the mysteries behind the Archadian Empire's invasion. Since 1987, the FINAL FANTASY series has sold over 60 million units. FINAL FANTASY XII carries on the proud tradition, bringing new ideas to the series and innovation to the RPG genre.
