Fainaru fantajî XII (2006) (VG)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Directors:

Hiroshi Minagawa
Hiroyuki Itô

Writers:

Yasumi Matsuno (story)
Miwa Shôda (scenario)

Release Date:

31 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Discover the secret that will unravel an empire.

Plot:

War is on the horizon. Seeking to strengthen its base of power, the great Archadian Empire has been invading and subjugating its neighboring kingdoms...

Plot Keywords:

Empire | Princess | Assault | Fictional War | Reluctant Hero

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Bobby Edner	...	Vaan (voice: English version)
Catherine Taber	...	Penelo (voice: English version) (as Cat Taber)
Gideon Emery	...	Balthier (voice: English version)
Nicole Fantl	...	Fran (voice: English version)
Kari Wahlgren	...	Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca - Ashe (voice: English version)
Keith Ferguson	...	Basch Fon Rosenburg (voice: English version)
Elijah Alexander	...	Vayne Carudas Solidor (voice: English version)
Johnny McKeown	...	Larsa Ferrinas Solidor (voice: English version)
Michael E. Rodgers	...	Judge Magister Gabranth (voice: English version) (as Michael Rodgers)
John Rafter Lee	...	Cidolfus Demen Bunansa - Cid (voice: English version) (as John Lee)
David Rasner	...	Al-Cid Margrace (voice: English version)
Phil LaMarr	...	Reddas (voice: English version)
Tom Kane	...	Marquis Halim Ondore IV (voice: English version)
Nolan North	...	Vossler York Azelas (voice: English version)
Andrew Philpot	...	Rasler Heios Nabradia (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

Final Fantasy 12 (International: English title) (short title)
Final Fantasy XII (USA)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

South Korea:12 | USA:T

Company:

Square Enix Company

Trivia:

Gilgamesh, an enemy found in the elite hunt 'Ancient Man of Mystery', is a reference to the same enemy in Final Fantasy V. The music played during this optional battle is an updated version of the same song, 'Clash on the Big Bridge', also played during the Gilgamesh battle in Final Fantasy V. Gilgamesh in Final Fantasy XII also wields a number of swords owned by previous Square Enix heroes, such as Cloud Strife's Buster Sword, Tidus' Brotherhood, or the Loto Sword from Dragon Quest.

Quotes:

Balthier: [after Fran goes into berserk mode] I always knew Fran didn't take well to being tied up. I just never knew how much. How about you?

Movie Connections:

Follows Final Fantasy V (1993) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Opening & Ending Themes

Great (once you get the hang of it)

Final Fantasy XII is a really great game with a lot of extras to keep you busy for a long time. The fighting system itself has been overhauled - instead of running into random encounters and being transported to a battle screen, the enemies are on the field and you fight them right there. The system does take some getting used to, especially in the beginning when you only have one person in your party. The system works best later on, when the enemies (and you and your party) are quicker, stronger, and smarter, resulting in fast, amazing battles. Any fan of World of Warcraft or other MMORPGs will adapt to this game in two seconds, as it's basically the same fighting system.

I found the weakest link was the story, which is odd because Final Fantasy is known for great stories. It never felt epic to me, and it didn't feel like the fate of the world was hanging in the balance. It had to do more with politics and war (probably because the head guy of this game was the same guy behind Final Fantasy Tactics, which focused less on fantasy and more on warring kingdoms). Also, while the game advertises Vaan as the main character, it's not really so. It makes you wonder why they didn't just scrap him and go with some other party member as the main character, as there are three others with more "main character" story lines than Vaan. The music is also nothing compared to past games. Finally, the only way to make serious money is by selling the "loot" you find off dead monsters. You will find yourself broke often because everything - weapons, armor, magic, Gambits, technicks, EVERYTHING - costs a lot of money.

But those are actually minor grievances once you start playing the game. The sidequests in this game, mainly hunting Marks, are incredibly fun. There are great bosses, the Judge Magisters are cool and intimidating, the voice acting is superb, the cutscenes are excellent, the graphics push to the PS2 to its limit, there are tons of different weapons and spells, the cities are large and sprawling with life, and Gambits - if you like 'em - can be mastered to perfection.

All in all, a great game and a great addition to the series