Final Fantasy XII

 PlayStation 2
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1542 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,062 out of 1542
  2. Mixed: 214 out of 1542
  3. Negative: 266 out of 1542
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  1. Tidu
    May 23, 2022
    8
    This was the first Final Fantasy I played, that was "just ok". I didn't get invested in the characters and the story wasn't as good as I would've hoped. But that doesn't mean I didn't have my fair share of fun with the game.
    I truly enjoyed the hunting jobs which was the best part of the game experience.
    For me, only thing that's missing from this game is an engaging story. Too bad that's    This was the first Final Fantasy I played, that was "just ok". I didn't get invested in the characters and the story wasn't as good as I would've hoped. But that doesn't mean I didn't have my fair share of fun with the game.
    I truly enjoyed the hunting jobs which was the best part of the game experience.
    For me, only thing that's missing from this game is an engaging story. Too bad that's the thing I'm looking for when I turn on my Playstation.    … Expand
  2. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    8
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! ffxii
  3. Lev
    Aug 20, 2008
    7
    I found this FF to be an enjoyable one, and while it's still not that amazing I think it's a decent game, and reminds me more of a 'western' rpg than a Japaneses one. I didn't have a problem with the characters, and I guess I'm among the few people who prefer Vaan over Cloud, Squall or Tidus. The story could also have been worked on, but I guess it's not I found this FF to be an enjoyable one, and while it's still not that amazing I think it's a decent game, and reminds me more of a 'western' rpg than a Japaneses one. I didn't have a problem with the characters, and I guess I'm among the few people who prefer Vaan over Cloud, Squall or Tidus. The story could also have been worked on, but I guess it's not that bad, although I don't really agree with the fact that it's 'very political', it wasn't that complicated. I found the battle system to be good, with the gambits you can actually get a chance to customize how you want to play, and you can also move around which gives you more interaction with battles. Many people prefer ATB, but I think that system also has it's own faults, it was far from perfect. ( I think it worked best in FF9) I have to add that I really liked the soundtrack, even though I'm not that into epic fantasy music, it was very enjoyable for me, I generally like Sakimoto's work. All in all this game does have an 'experimental' feel to it, but judging from the looks of FFXIII they will be back to the old track that 6, or rather 7 started, but I hope we get to see more Ivalice stuff too, since I prefer that.… Expand
  4. LeroyS.
    Jun 6, 2007
    7
    There is so much wrong with this game. The sript writers worked seperate from the the game directors.
  5. ZennykerZ
    Apr 5, 2009
    7
    Sincerely, the game is very beautiful, the soundtrack is good, and the gameplay works well for what is proposed. Still, the world is so big, that sometimes you'll get yourself bored by all of the distance necessary to go from point X to Y. And you don't feel motivated to do so, because the story don't looks like a Final Fantasy. They cutted the fantasy part for half, at Sincerely, the game is very beautiful, the soundtrack is good, and the gameplay works well for what is proposed. Still, the world is so big, that sometimes you'll get yourself bored by all of the distance necessary to go from point X to Y. And you don't feel motivated to do so, because the story don't looks like a Final Fantasy. They cutted the fantasy part for half, at least, in the storyline. And, for teleporting from place to place, you need an item or a money payment (for the Airship transport). Couldn't it be, like, Kingdom Hearts? The worlds can be very big, but still, you don't feel bored, if you wanna go to someplace, all you have to do is enter at the point of the world that you prefer. The characters have some problems too. Sometimes, don't seem to demonstrate personalities. They look all the same!… Expand
  6. BobbyJ.
    Feb 6, 2007
    7
    Though the gameplay is enjoyable, I found the story the least engaging so far in the series. The main character has little involvement in the events that happen around him, and the rest of the characters' backstories are contrived and sentimental. Many rare items depend not on your ability to hunt for them, but on arbitrary probabilities. You could potentially go through the game Though the gameplay is enjoyable, I found the story the least engaging so far in the series. The main character has little involvement in the events that happen around him, and the rest of the characters' backstories are contrived and sentimental. Many rare items depend not on your ability to hunt for them, but on arbitrary probabilities. You could potentially go through the game and, because certain items appear only 5% of the time in a given treasure chest, be without any interesting weapons. Thorough completion of tasks also offers little reward.… Expand
  7. SophieB.
    Sep 22, 2007
    7
    A very enjoyable game and with interesting new changes for the Final Fantasy series, but unfortunately I do not like the new battle system, and in my opinion neither the characters or storyline are as appealing - and I don't enjoy it as much as the others. A solid game, one of the better games of the year, breathtaking graphics and can be quite fun - but not as good as the previous A very enjoyable game and with interesting new changes for the Final Fantasy series, but unfortunately I do not like the new battle system, and in my opinion neither the characters or storyline are as appealing - and I don't enjoy it as much as the others. A solid game, one of the better games of the year, breathtaking graphics and can be quite fun - but not as good as the previous Final Fantasys.… Expand
  8. DawnaV.
    Feb 29, 2008
    7
    Despite illustrious graphics and beautifully rendered cut-scenes, this game somehow felt...empty to me. Granted, there are a choice few characters that manage to shine through the monotony of endless dungeons and complicated plot ramblings: Ashe, Fran & Balthier being the only ones I personally found significant. And true, the translation was magnificently done with words bordering on Despite illustrious graphics and beautifully rendered cut-scenes, this game somehow felt...empty to me. Granted, there are a choice few characters that manage to shine through the monotony of endless dungeons and complicated plot ramblings: Ashe, Fran & Balthier being the only ones I personally found significant. And true, the translation was magnificently done with words bordering on poetic due to one of the most well-translated RPGs yet… Expand
  9. AnonymousMC
    May 5, 2008
    7
    The visuals were top of the line 10/10 considering the low poly count. I've never seen textures painted so well in my life.
    The score was forgettable and dissapointing, possibly because Uematsu wasn't there.
    Combat system was a great change although I found it less "epic" than the previous style combat in past FF's also the repetitve "hacking" made the fighting look    The visuals were top of the line 10/10 considering the low poly count. I've never seen textures painted so well in my life.
    The score was forgettable and dissapointing, possibly because Uematsu wasn't there.

    Combat system was a great change although I found it less "epic" than the previous style combat in past FF's also the repetitve "hacking" made the fighting look stupid.
    Storyline wasn't that interesting, and characters weren't that great or deep.

    The licence board was dissapointing because it was nowhere near big enough.
    Sidequests had the typical flaw of Square, without a strategy guide or the internet you would never find out half the sidequests existed.

    Although there's alot of flaws, the game is definately worth buying and is enjoyable, although I don't think I'll be replaying this game annually like I do with FF7 and 8.

    jiyasa@hotmail.com    … Expand
  10. JohnT
    Feb 23, 2009
    7
    How did this game get such a high rating??? I saw one dude mention that this was the best game in the series; are you freakin kidding me? Look, if you're looking for a graphics intensive game then this one is "O.K.". If you're an actual RPG fan then chances are you expect a little more story line; which was total garbage. The game plays nothing like the previous games in the How did this game get such a high rating??? I saw one dude mention that this was the best game in the series; are you freakin kidding me? Look, if you're looking for a graphics intensive game then this one is "O.K.". If you're an actual RPG fan then chances are you expect a little more story line; which was total garbage. The game plays nothing like the previous games in the series. Try to imagine a MMORPG, now imagine playing it by yourself. That's the exact same experience you'll get out of this; Square Enix put so much into making this into a single player FF11(also trash!). 10 was a good game, 9 was ok(opinions vary), 8 was pretty damn good and 7 was amazing(the absolute best; hands down), Tactics was freakin great. This game; was a piece of shit. Nuff said.… Expand
  11. J.S.
    Jul 14, 2009
    7
    The weakest game in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XII shows a complete lack of storyline and gameplay. The gameplay is very tedious: the critically aclaimed 'liscence system' is an extremely simple choice of passive abilites.. All combat is automated, and every room is infested with monster after monster. You can simply set your characters to heal eachother when The weakest game in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XII shows a complete lack of storyline and gameplay. The gameplay is very tedious: the critically aclaimed 'liscence system' is an extremely simple choice of passive abilites.. All combat is automated, and every room is infested with monster after monster. You can simply set your characters to heal eachother when someone is below 50% health, walk into a group of monsters, then go take a nap. The graphics are sub-par for its time and especially for a Final Fantasy game. This sacrifice was done so that the ridiculous action-RPG system could be implemented. It seems like the game was aimed at those comming off from MMORPGs. All the negatives aside, the 2 hours of storyline that managed to find their way into the 70+ hours of tedious gameplay were actually very enjoyable. The plot was very cliche for the genre, but it was done better than I've seen it before. This game brings all the flash and ambiguity of a hollywood blockbuster to the console; simply slapping the words 'final fantasy' on the box.… Expand
  12. AmbushC.
    Nov 21, 2006
    7
    OK, been playing FFXII for about twenty hours now and while I'm well aware that there's a lot of stuff to unveil and do, I can pretty much say that I already have a well formed opinion about the game. The game is huge and incredibly well done in any way imaginable. But, as I already read somewhere else, 'well done doesn't mean fun'. Ok, it is fun. But, for me at OK, been playing FFXII for about twenty hours now and while I'm well aware that there's a lot of stuff to unveil and do, I can pretty much say that I already have a well formed opinion about the game. The game is huge and incredibly well done in any way imaginable. But, as I already read somewhere else, 'well done doesn't mean fun'. Ok, it is fun. But, for me at least, it doesn't even get close to the sheer feeling and awe experience that was for me to play FFX. Hands down. Forget it. If you think that this game will have that moving story, compelling characters and unforgettable moments, you will be disapointed. If feels a lot more like a MMORPG... and that's a shame. I played FFXI, and it didn't worked for me. I prefer story driven games like FFX. To give you an idea, with FFXIII feel more like playing Diablo than a FF game.… Expand
  13. CaptainU.
    Nov 5, 2006
    7
    1. Character AI+movement when gambited = Horrible 2. Espers story battle wise = Useless 3. License Board = Crap (sphere grid is much better) 4. Story = so-so and unexciting 5. Battle System = More interesting than previous FFs 6. FMV sequences = Long and purrty 7. Characters = Ok except for vaan
  14. PaulD.
    Dec 12, 2006
    7
    For those of you looking for the next FFVII, or the next FFX, heck even the next FFIV or FFVI and dive into FFXII, expect to feel the same way you do when jumping into a cold pool. Nearly every aspect of the game has been reworked from its non-MMORPG brethren from combat to character development. Some is good, other parts however will leave you wanting to dust off an old copy of FFVII and For those of you looking for the next FFVII, or the next FFX, heck even the next FFIV or FFVI and dive into FFXII, expect to feel the same way you do when jumping into a cold pool. Nearly every aspect of the game has been reworked from its non-MMORPG brethren from combat to character development. Some is good, other parts however will leave you wanting to dust off an old copy of FFVII and kill Sephiroth all over again. The graphics of this game are exactly what we have come to expect from a premier game developer in this day and age. While there are some small problems from time to time, mainly characters appearing from thin air right after a map load, they are for the most part forgivable because the rest of the world looks so freaking... cool. The cut scenes are by far the best so far in the series, the best in most series actually RPG or not, and the opening sequence will leave you eager for battle. And that is where the shock occurs. The battle system has been completely revamped and will take some serious getting use to. Add this to a camera that seems made to frustrate a player(although with time and practice this changes) many players will put down the game before they even start, which would be a shame as their IS fun to be mined here but you will have to work for it. If you have ever played a MMORPG you will know what to expect and there is some obvious influence from the previous online installment in the series. Gone are the random battles in the past, you will be able to see your foes and if you want to fight them, simply walk up to them and start attacking. The ease of this is at first a breath of fresh air to a series that seems at times to be stuck in the past, after a while though it turns into a chore. Another side effect of the new system is that the fear of being jumped at any moment while in hostile territory is gone, and this hurts the experience a lot more than one might first expect and after finally getting down the pre-battle command gambit system included with the game it seems to almost play itself. In fact it is quite simple to wade into a group of foes and then... put the controller down and take up knitting. Seriously, knitting. You will find that in most instances your input into a battle is not required, in fact even the toughest of foes will have you pressing a button only on rare occasions. The second, although less drastic change is the character development tool. The new system involves gaining LP which you can spend to unlock abilities, magic, traits, and the ability to use armor and weapons. The entire set up at first feels like the old sphere grid from FFX, but that is where the similarities end. Unlike the character oriented sphere grid the new "grid" is much more open ended. Any character can become... anything. Want your pirate to be a healer? You can do it. Want your princess to become a sword swinging tank that can take down the toughest foe? Done. While this freedom might sound nice at first the end result is that by the end of the game you inevitably unlock nearly all of the grid for each character and they become simple cookie cutters off each other. Perhaps most unforgivable is that simply learning a spell or ability on the grid does not mean that you can use it. You must then go purchase that spell or ability (often at a hefty price) from a vendor. This is annoying at best and infuriating at worst as you will inevitably spend money on a skill you cannot yet use or LP on a skill that you cannot yet use and feels often like selling you a nifty clock and then charging you extra for the batteries. The story in this installment is another change for the series. While the previous games have centered on the story of a main character the "main" character this time around is for the most part just their. In fact most people will be hard pressed to understand why the others even suffer his presence. While the story is good this lack of a centralized theme means that the player simply isn't drawn into the game, and hence the world it is set in, as fully as in the past. Indeed the stories biggest failing is the lack of a main villain, expectably early on. You simply don't know who the bad guy is. While this is not really a failing from a story telling stand point it is yet another thing that helps to stop the character from really wanting to climb the mountain and slay the demon, a mentality that was crucial in the previous installments. Don't let all of this deter you however, FFXII is a good game though it is a far cry from what some critics are hailing it as and for most it will be a love it or hate it relationship. The best advice that I can give you is to rent this game first, if you are able to look past its faults you will find a little nugget of gold. If you can't, well there is always FFVII sitting on the shelf to remind you of the series heyday.… Expand
  15. JohnJ.
    Jan 14, 2007
    7
    AM one of the greatest fan of Final Fantasy. The graphics are great but the story is not very intriguing. Something is missing in that game. The game is okay. Not as good as the X and VII and VIII. Common Square Enix plz do something good next time. We waited so much for this release.
  16. UnknownUnknown
    Dec 21, 2007
    7
    This game has a wonderful world and graphics and interesting new gameplay but also lacks many of the qualities that make a Final Fantasy or a great RPG. Its battle system resembles one from an MMORPG which is fine but it also has a few downsides one such being the gambit system. Though the gambit system is great and fun to play around with, you'll eventually find yourself setting up This game has a wonderful world and graphics and interesting new gameplay but also lacks many of the qualities that make a Final Fantasy or a great RPG. Its battle system resembles one from an MMORPG which is fine but it also has a few downsides one such being the gambit system. Though the gambit system is great and fun to play around with, you'll eventually find yourself setting up certain gambits that will probably be used for the whole game which ends in you watching the game play itself rather than you yourself playing it. Gameplay also becomes severely monotonous as you find yourself grinding through similarly structured long dungeons which lost my interest pretty quickly. RPG games should contain a great story with great characters which XII did not. Its story was weak with weak characters, namely Vaan, Penelo and Fran. Vaan goes along the journey to avenge his brother and... thats it. Penelo comes along because Vaan is going while Fran goes along because Balthier is going. Balthier at first doesn't have much depth either at the beginning but it later grows making him one of the tolerable characters along with Basch and Ashe who had importance concerning the story. The story wasn't compelling but not bad. In a more positive note the graphics however are amazing and its gameplay can be enjoyable. However looks and ok gameplay at best alone isn't enough to make a great RPG. Final Fantasy XII is worth it if you tend to dismiss the story and tend to prefer the gameplay itself but if you were hoping for a wonderful RPG you will most likely be disappointed.… Expand
  17. WillS.
    Jan 13, 2008
    7
    Not the best game ive played on the PS2, but it does look nice and did keep me active. The gamestyle is not too bad either, and at least you are getting a chance to move around now compared to the last games. Having said that i did find that after eleven games that have came out (not incudin FFXI) that you dont get to actually see your character wearing the armor you set on them. Still a Not the best game ive played on the PS2, but it does look nice and did keep me active. The gamestyle is not too bad either, and at least you are getting a chance to move around now compared to the last games. Having said that i did find that after eleven games that have came out (not incudin FFXI) that you dont get to actually see your character wearing the armor you set on them. Still a pretty average game, and I only kept playing it so i could finish it.… Expand
  18. drlowdon
    Jul 22, 2013
    7
    With its overhauled (and improved) battle system Final Fantasy XII is certainly faster paced, and arguably more accessible to JPRG novices, than its predecessors. Unfortunately it also continues the series trend of having increasingly unmemorable characters and story-lines, two things that are of vital importance if you are going to invest 50+ hours in a game. Sitting here now I couldWith its overhauled (and improved) battle system Final Fantasy XII is certainly faster paced, and arguably more accessible to JPRG novices, than its predecessors. Unfortunately it also continues the series trend of having increasingly unmemorable characters and story-lines, two things that are of vital importance if you are going to invest 50+ hours in a game. Sitting here now I could still name every playable character from Final Fantasy VII but couldn't tell you a single one from this game despite it being nearly a decade more recent.

    It's still a good game but not one that'll ever be considered a true classic of the genre.    … Expand
  19. BlacksitePSU
    Oct 6, 2011
    7
    Not necessarily a bad game, if you can ignore the fact that the game has a hard time deciding who we should care about, in terms of the story. That is to say that Vaan was dead weight. The gameplay was surprisingly addicting though. As a dungeon-crawler, it's a really enjoyable experience advancing through the many beautifully-rendered levels, battling all of these amazing creatures inNot necessarily a bad game, if you can ignore the fact that the game has a hard time deciding who we should care about, in terms of the story. That is to say that Vaan was dead weight. The gameplay was surprisingly addicting though. As a dungeon-crawler, it's a really enjoyable experience advancing through the many beautifully-rendered levels, battling all of these amazing creatures in real-time. I certainly think that on a technical level it pushed the PS2 to its limit. Technicalities aside, Final Fantasy XII is like any other Final Fantasy: a new story, battle system, music etc. It just so happens to be a "western" RPG. Not the kind of change I was expecting to see.… Expand
  20. Carlitoxic
    Mar 20, 2012
    7
    This is not a Final Fantasy game. It´s a Star Wars game. The history is bored and slow. FFXII has good graphical, good music and the game play is entertained. As adventure, it is a great game, but as Final Fantasy not.
  21. Rox22
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    FF 12 is perhaps my least favorite FF game. It isn't bad, just rather generic and forgettable.

    Graphics are beautiful and has some of the prettiest scenery pieces of all the FF games. The combat system was a little rough around the edges, but I liked it and thought it was a bold step changing the tried and true JRPG battle system. The lead character Vaan is as bland as they get and    FF 12 is perhaps my least favorite FF game. It isn't bad, just rather generic and forgettable.

    Graphics are beautiful and has some of the prettiest scenery pieces of all the FF games. The combat system was a little rough around the edges, but I liked it and thought it was a bold step changing the tried and true JRPG battle system.

    The lead character Vaan is as bland as they get and completely forgettable. Side characters on the other hand are a bit more distinguished and have a bit more depth, even if their designs are a little odd and feel a little out of place.

    FF XII has some of the best creature battles of the series. The creatures are rich, varied and extremely challenging.

    Overall:
    Final Fantasy XII is decent enough for a FF game, but also feels like the designers just put the same level of love and care into it as they did with the previous games. Fun to play, but you won't remember too much about it once you're done.    … Expand
  22. Malamir7
    Feb 25, 2013
    7
    I am writing this review trying to convince myself that the game deserves a higher mark.....no actually it deserves a lower one but for better or worse I spent 80 hours playing it, therefore I must have loved something right. First of all I am a big fan of FFX, loved the story, the characters (except you know who) even though he was still a much better protagonist than Vaan. I loved theI am writing this review trying to convince myself that the game deserves a higher mark.....no actually it deserves a lower one but for better or worse I spent 80 hours playing it, therefore I must have loved something right. First of all I am a big fan of FFX, loved the story, the characters (except you know who) even though he was still a much better protagonist than Vaan. I loved the magical world.....okay this review is about FFXII, sorry.... The reason I played 80 hours of this game is that I wanted to immense myself in its world, I wanted to have a great Final Fantasy experience. I was trying realy hard all the time to care for the characters, to care about its bizarre and nonsensical political plot....but actually what where they trying to do? A royal Japanese soap opera?! They couldn't move me one bit, except for maybe the relationship between Balthier and Cid, but then of course these two characters were believable, compelling and INTERESTING (Judge Bergan deserves a nod here for the best impersonation in video games of Darth Vader) As many fellow reviewers have mentioned rightfully the game has a terrible pacing, you can so easily forget what the whole point of the story was, why on earth you were going in that direction, what were the characters and the villians motives, etc. I could continue all day but in short the game falls flat on many high expectations and standards created by the magic of previous FF titles. And if we are looking at this game even as a standalone RPG.....well it is going to receive even a lesser mark....Why?
    Well sometimes dear Square Enix, quantity is not better than quality. Even though you guys have created an enormous world, full of many many side activities, many enemies to be slain, many locations to be explored......the game is very repetitive, the player is forced to spent countless hours in the same old killing of skeletons, bats and wolfs, just so he can afford to buy that precious new gear and new magicks, thus unnecessarily prolonging the game to an unimaginable lenght. From those 80 hours I spent, probably in only 20 I was having actual fun, by slaying bosses, by hunting marks, or by losing myself in some dungeon full of overpowered creatures, fighting for my survival One game is NOT measured by the amount of filler time it contains but by the thrilling moments it presents the player with. In this game unfortunately these moments were far too rare and spread unevenly.
    FFX had also shortcomings of course but it presents the player with MANY epic and memorable moments, an engaging and hearth-whelming story, comprised of great characters in a magical world. Unfortunately FFXII lacks many of these key components to feel like an epic and memorable game.
    I am sorry but unlike Vaan when I play a game I am not there just for the journey, I am there for the EXPERIENCE.    … Expand
  23. everin
    Oct 1, 2015
    7
    Tier 2
    + Creates a fun new FF universe that feels aesthetically distinct from previous installments
    + Offers a visually impressive open world + Provides a fun new combat system that stands out and streamlines the turn-based genre + Level progression system is a lot of fun and provides nearly endless player customization ? Plot is less far-fetched than previous FFs, but ends up being    Tier 2
    + Creates a fun new FF universe that feels aesthetically distinct from previous installments
    + Offers a visually impressive open world
    + Provides a fun new combat system that stands out and streamlines the turn-based genre
    + Level progression system is a lot of fun and provides nearly endless player customization
    ? Plot is less far-fetched than previous FFs, but ends up being dry and emotionless by comparison
    ? Open world feels somewhat empty and tedious to explore at times
    - Most of the supporting cast are markedly less interesting than other FF games    … Expand
  24. Kai82
    Dec 8, 2020
    7
    After all the years I still don't know if it is a great game that I did not appreciate enough or a weaker game in the Final Fantasy franchise. It has a great story, many remarkable characters and an interesting world I liked to explore while getting rid of random encounters. However it has also some weaknesses as I dislike that you have no direct control of other party members (Liked theAfter all the years I still don't know if it is a great game that I did not appreciate enough or a weaker game in the Final Fantasy franchise. It has a great story, many remarkable characters and an interesting world I liked to explore while getting rid of random encounters. However it has also some weaknesses as I dislike that you have no direct control of other party members (Liked the Gambit system first but it became annoying after a while), the license board / character development system is uninteresting and the protagonist Vaan has not that much purpose after the set up of the story (He even mentioned this himself in the game and it is sad as I liked him). Also there is an incredible annoyance with treasure chests. The game is set in the world of Ivalice (A few games from Square-Enix are set here like Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics but these are not related). The Kingdom of Dalmasca is one of a few smaller countries set as buffer state between two larger powers. When one of them Archadia invades another smaller country a war seems unavoidable as there is no response from the other great power. Two years after the events of the intro we follow the protagonist Vaan who dreams to become a sky pirate using an opportunity to infiltrate the royal palace. From here on the story gains momentum. There is far more to the attack on Dalmasca then it seems. You will face political plots, schemes, moral dilemmas and adventures. The twist are great and after some you will reevaluate your opinions as the world and some characters are not black and white. Sadly the protagonist Vaan is the least awesome character in your party. Ashe, Basch or Bathier with Fran were far better choices as main characters. Their stories are immersive and enjoyable. There is also more to them than it seems. The world however is impressive. I liked to explore it as the world is colorful and full of variety. There are also many interesting characters in this game. So far it looks really good but there are downsides. Lets start with treasures. There are some you have to avoid at all cost to get a really awesome weapon that is not obtainable otherwise. This is nowhere told outside of a guide and I think this is a no go. Also some chest contains good stuff only at a low chance (The guide gives you a percental value here). Then there is the Gambit system. There are no random battles or a battle screen. When you are near enemies a battle starts if they are hostile (Warning in some areas there a stronger enemies you should not attack early on). You have however only control of 1 character in a party of 3. For the others you have to set gambits. First are priorities 1 = highest priority, 2 second highest etc. Then you have to set them. Example: 1: Heal character when < 20% HP and 2: Attack enemies. With this you attack and heal when your HPs are low. If you do it in reverse you will never heal as it is never a priority. This is just the beginning as you should add to use an MP potion when the MP for healing are low at an ever higher priority. As you progress you get more options and can even buy some later on if I remember correctly. This was fun and exciting first but became a burden and uninteresting later on. As you battle you get License Points to spend on the License Board. There you can unlock spells, techniques, new items you are allowed to use (You can have them before but are not allowed to use them until unlocking) or status buffs. It is acceptable but not great. Downside is that you can only link summons to 1 character (This prevented me from using them). There is also a system of special Limit Break like attacks called Quickenings also learnable on the License Board. These can be chained for powerful combos. As per Final Fantasy standards there are many sidequests, additional content and bonus dungeons. Overall this is an excellent game where I disliked the battle system and have some other problems with. It could not win me over completely but it has some great moments and a good story (Sometimes it remembered me of Star Wars with a certain battle;-).… Expand
  25. ArcCoat
    Jun 12, 2019
    7
    If you look at this game as a final fantasy title, it's a 6. If you look at it as a normal title, it's a 8. But I chose to give it a 7, because this game does not feel like a final fantasy game.

    imo, a final fantasy game is about the turn based system, the adventure, the great music, the amazing story and the wide range of characters. This game has the turn based system (I will get    If you look at this game as a final fantasy title, it's a 6. If you look at it as a normal title, it's a 8. But I chose to give it a 7, because this game does not feel like a final fantasy game.

    imo, a final fantasy game is about the turn based system, the adventure, the great music, the amazing story and the wide range of characters.
    This game has the turn based system (I will get into that later) and the adventure, but it doesn't have any of the rest.

    FFXII is a game you play for its game play, not for its story. Luckily, the game play is amazing, while it gives you the illusion of not being a turn-based battle system (no random encounters and free movement of characters), it actually totally is a turn based system in its mechanics. Which is a balance that I really enjoyed with this game, FFXII also brings you the type of exploration that you would see in a MMORPG.

    But what truly breaks the game, and it's a tragedy, is the boring, bland and mediocre story. There's not much I can say about it, it's honestly something to sleep over, luckily the game keeps it short and tends to focus more on the game play, like it's conscious of how bad the story is. The characters are generic and have nothing special about them, you can barely tell the main character is one at all.

    The music is also mediocre, but this is something I would have been willing to look over if the story had been at least interesting.

    To conclude, this games is an offline singleplayer MMORPG. Fun game play, bad story...    … Expand
  26. MoofiaBossVal
    Dec 26, 2021
    7
    The cutscene direction, the English localization, and the voice direction makes the story REALLY enjoyable to watch. Sadly most of the main party you're stuck with comprises dry, unemotive characters. Vaan is the only character who is allowed to emote, and if he wasn't there I don't think I would have made it through the game.

    Aesthetically, the game looks great. The soundtrack is okay.    The cutscene direction, the English localization, and the voice direction makes the story REALLY enjoyable to watch. Sadly most of the main party you're stuck with comprises dry, unemotive characters. Vaan is the only character who is allowed to emote, and if he wasn't there I don't think I would have made it through the game.

    Aesthetically, the game looks great. The soundtrack is okay. A little too noisy for my liking but nothing particularly bad.

    The gameplay is meh. I liked the open zones, but I'm not a fan of the MMO combat. It's not as fun as the turn based battles with the cinematic camera shots and stuff. If you do like the battles, then thankfully there are a lot of optional bosses for you to fight.    … Expand
  27. ChrisM
    Mar 3, 2010
    6
    This is the first Final Fantasy that I repeatedly put down for weeks before being motivated to continue. I still need to prevail over the final boss. The reason for it being far from the best, primarily, is the characters. I mean, seriously, the characters were worst cast in the entire franchise. I had no connection with most of them; and only had a minimal connection with Fran and This is the first Final Fantasy that I repeatedly put down for weeks before being motivated to continue. I still need to prevail over the final boss. The reason for it being far from the best, primarily, is the characters. I mean, seriously, the characters were worst cast in the entire franchise. I had no connection with most of them; and only had a minimal connection with Fran and Balthier. Besides that they were so forgettable. It is key that a inal Fantasy has a solid group of protagonists and XII failed spectacularily in that department. I cared more for some of the villains than I did any of them. It's quite sad, tbh. The story was ok, but nothing too great; but the way it was told and the voice work was beautiful. The voice cast did an immense job on this game. The world f Ivalice was lovely, the battle sstem was good (I do understand people's qualms with it, though) and it had some gorgeous musical scores (although the OST, overall, was forgettable). One of the greatest things about the game was the Hunts sidequest. Loved that.… Expand
  28. MichaelA.
    Jan 3, 2007
    6
    I did really enjoy this game. The new style of character management felt odd at first, but I really started to get in to it. Hence the rating of 6 I have given it. This rating also has to do with the greatest cinematography and general landscapes ever made for a game. I have played all the SE games and countless RPGs. However, I did place the controller down about halfway and looking back I did really enjoy this game. The new style of character management felt odd at first, but I really started to get in to it. Hence the rating of 6 I have given it. This rating also has to do with the greatest cinematography and general landscapes ever made for a game. I have played all the SE games and countless RPGs. However, I did place the controller down about halfway and looking back at that moment, I'm not sure if I will ever pick it back up. The moment I decided to place/throw the controller down, I spent multiple hours refining my experience in the game, increasing my equipment, leveling up, and conquering the gambit system. Low and behold, after about halfway thru the game (about 50 hours of game play) the story line never grabbed me or took me to my "Final Fantasy" world I come to love over the years. The story is lame and sorely needs cliff notes to understand it as it happens. There are times when a cut scene is over that I… Expand
  29. ChrisC.
    Feb 5, 2007
    6
    If FFXII were called anything except 'Final Fantasy' it wouldn't be receiving nearly as rave reviews. What seems inventive about the battle system at first quickly grows incredibly repetitive and tedious, as all you're usually doing is watching your characters hack at enemies who are stupidly easy despite having way too high HP.
  30. MarkT.
    Mar 23, 2007
    6
    Final Fantasy 12 diverged in a lot of ways from past episodes of the series. The most glaring flaw in it that I can see is the story. Aside from FFX-2, which never was designed to present an ideal story in the first place, the story in FF12 has to be the worst since FF5. Don't get me wrong -- the story had enormous potential, and in itself, the plot wasn't that bad. It's Final Fantasy 12 diverged in a lot of ways from past episodes of the series. The most glaring flaw in it that I can see is the story. Aside from FFX-2, which never was designed to present an ideal story in the first place, the story in FF12 has to be the worst since FF5. Don't get me wrong -- the story had enormous potential, and in itself, the plot wasn't that bad. It's the execution that was terrible. The final fantasy series is supposed to consist of roleplaying games. How can you 'roleplay', or better phrased, dive into the roles of the characters in question, when you receive virtually no background information about any of the characters? CGIs, which have always been an important tool for conveying character backgrounds and moving the story forward, are so sparse that they are hardly even noticed. This is in stark contrast to FFX. After completing FF12, I had 60 hours logged. If I were to estimate it, i'd say that only 20 minutes of that was spent watching CGI movies that propel the story forward. Is this really what an RPG game is supposed to be like? The story lacked all of the usual plot twists the most FF games have, and most importantly, it lacked the epic scope of most FF games. At the end of the game, I was sad to realize that I didn't really care what happened to the main characters. Balthier was probably my favorite since he was the most well developed and unique, but even that character was barely developed enough to warrant an RPG. FF12 actually closely resembles an online MMORPG than a console roleplaying game. So much so that the painstaking 'level grinds' and repetitive game play are enough to put you to sleep. Espers, another staple of the recent FF series, are all but useless. The same is true for magic. The 100 level tower toward the end of the game that must be climbed level by level is absolutely horrible. It consists of 50 floors, yes, 50, which all look identical and consist of nothing but slaying the same monsters and walking the same path to get to the next one. This is simply inexcusable in a console game. All in all, FF12 had enormous potential, but it no where near lived up to the hype, especially considering that it spent 5 years in development. The battle system was monotonous and boring, the characters were bland, and the story when it was understandable was so loosely thrown together that it leaves a person shaking their head in confusion. I'm giving the game a 6 merely because of the amazing graphics -- this was the game's only true saving grace.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PS2 Game of 2006
1
#1 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2006
2
#2 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 64
  3. Negative: 0 out of 64
  1. GamesRadar+
    80
    The story soars, but not so often. The dungeons are long and meandering. The gameplay is effective, but not engrossing. It's a staggeringly well-made game that throws more at you than any other RPG on the PS2... but well-made doesn't necessarily mean "fun."
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  2. eToychest
    97
    This is absolutely my favorite Final Fantasy title, a claim I probably would have laughed at two years ago when rumors about the game’s battle system began to circulate.
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  3. Gaming Age
    91
    One of those rare games that can be appreciated by both hardcore and casual fans alike, Final Fantasy XII may very well be Square's last great adventure, and a fitting sendoff, for the PlayStation 2.
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