Final Fantasy 12

Not only is Final Fantasy XII one of the most outstanding games on PS2, it may be the finest to hit shelves until the PS3 makes its debut. To sum it up in one sentence, do not, and I mean DO NOT, pass up the chance to play this gorgeously deep role playing game, whether you wish to or have invested in the Playstation 3.

This game takes place in the once prosperous Ivalice, which is now under the rule of the malevolent Archadian Empire. One of the opening scenes sees humans wandering around the spectacular streets, accompanied by lizards and other classical Final Fantasy creatures. Experienced players will be happy to see the glorious return of the Moogles, and the overly cute MontBlanc, whilst others will notice the slight Star Wars influence that seems to have taken over.

The game balances exploration, combat and dialog spectacularly, whilst you work towards unravelling the many mysteries that you expect to find in any Final Fantasy game. You play as a young orphan named Vaan, who has sworn revenge against the Archadian Empire for taking the life of his brother, and a team of characters that join and leave your party as the game progresses. To travel across the huge world, which is divided into three main continents, you can go by foot, airship, teleportation crystals, riding on the back of the famous Chocobo (!) or by a new system called “Moogling."

The biggest and best change to the game is the combat style. Instead of entering random battles, the Japanese have successfully created a system called “Active Dimension Battle." They have managed to cross “Turn-Based” gaming - where players are able to choose their offensive or defensive actions in between turns with the enemies - with “Real Time” fighting, where there is not break in the combat. Unlike all previous Final Fantasy games, you can now see the enemies wandering around the map, instead of entering random battles. BUT like all Final Fantasy games, they have brought back Cid! (Man, I hate that guy.) He now appears in the form of Dr Cid.

Final Fantasy is known for its stunningly good graphics, and this game lives up to those expectations! Both its non-interactive CG cut-scenes, and its 3D in game graphics are worthy of Video Game art awards. Plus the game offers a wide screen mode, for all you with high definition or enhanced definition TVs!

One thing is for certain: the last Final Fantasy for PS2 to hit the shelves has not been a disappointment and has sent the current generation of consoles out with a huge bang. Plus, Next Gen versions of the worlds most popular series is already under way!

Thankfully, there is nothing Final about the Final Fantasy series.

-Thinking of buying another Final Fantasy game? Check out my review of Final Fantasy X here!

Written by: Gamestar
Edited by: Knil
Coded by: Hoof NoobQuest