Micro Reviews; everything you need to know in less than 500 words.
Reviewing: Final Fantasy 12 for the playstation 2.

Game Play:
FF12 is the latest installment of the much acclaimed final fantasy series. The game is quite different from previous incarnations and feels a lot more like an MMO with only one person.

This is probably due to the new battle system. The new system is in real time, and is not randomly generated- enemies are found as you wonder around the field. You also now have gambits, a system which basically allows you to script the AI of characters in your party, creating healers, tanks and casters which will operate without your instruction. Done correctly, this means battles can resolve themselves. You need to earn gambits as you play the game though.

Also new is a whole new system called the license point system that allows you to customize your characters and their roles a lot more than in any previous final fantasy game. The standard leveling system remains, in addition to the normal XP enemies give you LP (License points), which can be used to buy abilities on the license points grid. As you buy an ability the ones next to it become available for purchase. By moving around the grid and taking certain routes, you can build characters with higher HP, who can use specialist weapons and amour, which have very effective spells and so forth. It is annoying at times though as you need a license for every piece of equipment you use.

Also new are quickenings. These combos trigger quick time events which can unleash massive damage on an enemy if you are fast enough. Useful for finishing off boss fights.

All the other core elements of final fantasy game play remain present, and more or less unchanged.

My Opinion:
Not a bad game at all. Doesn’t feel like a Final Fantasy game though. Like the new battle system, but felt the old one didn’t need changing. Wish that square enix would bring back the world map again that’s been missing in the last few editions on Final Fantasy. Would recommend buying if a fan of the RPG genre. Otherwise don’t bother unless it’s going cheap. That’s not saying it’s a bad game, just not a good game to try for RPG virgins as it is quite complex even by RPG standards. Saying that though, the elements of gameplay are introduced slowly as you progress, so as not to not overload you. Possibly too slowly. Take about 2 hours of game play to get Gambits. Even longer for quickenings. Gets dull at points.

Story line is generic final fantasy. Not bad, but getting a little dated. Sound and music is top notch as usual. Graphics are pushing the PS2 to its limit. Very visually pleasing.

In Closing:
Gameplay: 8/10 Good, but dull bits.
Graphics: 9/10. Excellent. Shame about the jaggies.
Sound: 9/10. Spoiled only by some annoying accents.
Fun rating: 8/10. You’ll play it four hours at a time.
Overall: 9/10. But it just doesn’t feel like Final Fantasy.

-Evis T.

Want to buy this for as cheap as possible? : http://evisemporium.zlio.net/p/Final-Fantasy-XII/9119591