Game Review: Final Fantasy XII

I have to say that I'm a little bit behind the curve when this game was released March 2006 in Japan and November 2006 in US. I just got around to buy it and play it for the very first time because I know it will consume me like a monster and I was playing some other games back then, but what a glorious feeling it is to finally play it for the first time.

I guess I wasn't really expecting it to be a lot different from any other RPGs. I love RPG games and after playing tons of games on my PS2, I kinda realized its limitations, but I was pleasantly surprised and shocked after playing with it for the first hour. The graphics is so sharp and dazzling that I feel no other games has been able to this level of detail. (Maybe Neverhood is the other one that equals it) Gone is the annoying long load time, and so much movie sequences in that little disc. How is that possible? It makes me wonder why the other games before this has such small contents.

For anyone who has played the previous Final Fantasy installments, the learning grid has changed into another format which every character doesn't have a set in job. Every character can be a mage, a ninja, or a heavy knight. Guys can be the magic casters while girls can chop down your enemies with brute strength. This installment has a lot of side jobs to be completed, and it feels a lot more open so that players with different gameplay styles can enjoy it as well. But then you can't really play it without a proper guide. There's too much to learn and you can only get certain items or equipments if you fulfill some very specific requirements.

All in all it's a great game. I think I'll need to spend at least 150 hours in it. It's a solid "A" for me!