Final Fantasy has long been a name synonymous with RPG gaming. From its humble beginnings in 1986 as a dying company’s last chance, to the powerhouse franchise of 2007 that is centred almost solely around money, it isn’t too difficult to see that this series has been around the block a few too many times. Final Fantasy XII is the latest in a long line of epics, with this particular entrance boasting an all-new flair for originality. Is this title the series’ saving grace, or does it just drive another nail into an almost-buried coffin?
Straight from the outset, it is apparent that this time around, Square have learnt from their mistakes – this game is a far cry from its abysmal predecessor, Final Fantasy X. What is once old, is now new, and vice-versa. The open-world of X returns, best-known for its lack of a world map, and totally 3D environments used rather than the pre-rendered backgrounds of the PSone days. Upgrading X’s use of this wasn’t too hard a job – anyone who enjoyed the claustrophobic hallways of FFX mustn’t have experienced the joys of a massive world map back in the VI-IX days. Final Fantasy XII, similarly, is able to blend both methods of exploration – no world map between towns and dungeons anymore, but a completely movable camera and huge open-ended areas make the world seem massive and completely explorable, which it is.
The world of Ivalice itself is the newest device being used by Square to rake in the cash – similar to the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Yasumi Matsuno’s once grand image of Ivalice in his original epic, the PSone’s fabulous Final Fantasy Tactics, has become a cash-cow known as the Ivalice Alliance. Tactics, Tactics Advance, Tactics A2, Revenant Wings, the list goes on. Suffice to say, only one or two of these titles are worth your hard-earned cash. But what does this mean for XII? Basically, nothing. The Ivalice Alliance was begun because of how successful XII became, hence XII is probably the last time you’ll get to visit Ivalice without wondering why the title you’re playing was even developed. Full Review...
Final Fantasy 12 InformationGame: Final Fantasy 12 Developer:
Square Enix Publisher: Square Enix Genre: RPG Medium: DVD-ROM Platform: PlayStation
2 Final Fantasy 12 Release Date
Final Fantasy 12 is expected to be released in Japan on 16th March, 2006. The playable demo of the game comes bundled with the US version of Dragon Quest VIII.
Final Fantasy Insider
