Final Fantasy XII Collector's Edition

Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Genre: RPG
Release: October 31, 2006
Platforms: Playstation 2

Reviewer: Dan

I figure now would be a good time to review this game since they are making a continuation of the storyline for the Nintendo DS. But right away, I need to say that I may not be the best person to review this as a comparison to other Final Fantasy games and for that matter, RPGs in general. The first Final Fantasy game I played was FF X, which is still my favorite. I've played FF VII for a little bit, but never finished the first disc. I've also tried out IV, V, and Tactics Advance, but have never finished any of them. So, basically the only RPGs I've ever finished were FF X, FF X-2, Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, and the subject of this review, Final Fantasy XII.

The first thing you'll notice about the Collector's Edition of FF XII is the awesome case it comes in. Unlike a regular plastic DVD case, this version comes in a very nice metal case that is still the same size as your regular DVD case. With the Collector's Edition, you also get a bonus DVD with a nice featurette of the history of the Final Fantasy series. It was good enough for me, as I got to see where Square got some of their ideas for the FF games I've played, but I've heard form more avid fans that this version of the history leaves out some big things.

As for the storyline of the game, it is mediocre at best. It is a tale that has been told before, so if you like a game with a good storyline like me, then this one may not be for you. I’m not going to try to explain it because I really didn’t pay too much attention to it. Some people really liked the characters and the plot, but, Iduno, I really had no feelings for any of the characters, which isn’t what a good story will do. I’ll put it this way, it is no FF X. That game actually made me a bit emo for a few days after I beat it for the first time.

The gameplay is what I really enjoy about FF XII. Unlike more traditional FF releases, there are no random battles in this game. If you see an enemy, you can fight it…or not, which is what I really like about it. It was always slightly annoying to either go looking for random battles to help my characters level or to hope to avoid them to move through an area faster (I know, I sound like the worst RPG player ever).

The other feature of the game that makes it the lazy gamer’s RPG is the Gambit system. The Gambit system is basically programming a bunch of “If Then" statements for each of your characters to perform certain actions in battle. If you have them set up correctly, all you really need to do is walk close enough to an enemy and your Gambits take over. Early in the game, these are, however, next to useless since you haven’t either unlocked them or had the chance to gain enough Ability Points to unlock enough Gambit slots (you can have up to 10).

There really weren’t too many mini-games in FF XII, which I really happened to like. It allowed me to spend more time on the actual game than spend time on a programming afterthought to “unlock" certain items or weapons. The one, I guess, side quest, are the hunts you can go on. This was a rather fun way to kill some time later in the game. Throughout the game, there are certain people that need certain monsters killed. Some are easy to find and kill; others take a lot of thought to find and lots of strategy to kill. I distinctly remember the final hunt that I had to go on. The monster wasn’t particularly hard to find, it’s just that it took me 5 hours to kill. I’m not kidding. I had to do it in multiple sittings. In the end, all you really get is this little badge thingy saying that you actually did it. I think it is used to unlock some good item or accessory, but I never bothered to find out.

The one disappointing thing about FF XII is that it is (apparently) really easy to beat, meaning, you don’t need to be on very high of a level to beat the game. When I finally did decide to beat the final boss and the game I had all of my characters around level 90. It turns out that if you don’t want to do anything extra in the game, you really only need to be on level 45 to make it possible to beat the final boss. There were sub-bosses leading up to the final one that I was able to kill in 3 or 4 hits. In fact, the last 5 hunts you go on (if you do the hunts) are drastically more difficult than the final boss.

Final Verdict

Final Fantasy XII is an overall good game in general. If you are a real big fan of the Final Fantasy series, then this one may not be your favorite, but it certainly shouldn’t be your least favorite. For a newcomer to the series, well, there are certainly better options for your first Final Fantasy game since the Gambit system can get a bit complex. But for the casual RPG fan, Final Fantasy XII should be perfect for you. At this point, the Collector’s Edition is only $30 new, and if you wanted to go cheap, you can probably find the regular edition for less than $20 used. 8 out of 10.