Reviews// Final Fantasy XII (PS2)

The solution is to spend more time in the Dalmasca Estersand (where you went to track down the Rogue Tomato) defeating the foes that reside there - as most of them are easy to beat once you learn their attack patterns. Thereafter, you can spend some time in the Giza Plains (where you sought the Dark Crystals) and learn some skills there. In both these areas, you'll discover another aspect of FFXII that differentiates it from previous games in the series.

Earlier games had ‘random battles’: you would be wandering around the game-world, maybe with very little health after a series of battles, and trying to get back home to rest and restore your energy, when all of a sudden, a fanfare would sound and you would be forced into battle. You would have no way of knowing the battle was about to happen, and you would have no way of knowing what your opponent may be. You had no way of avoiding these battles - the monsters would appear literally out of nowhere.

In FFXII, as you wander around the game-world, you can see your opponents so, if you decide to battle them, you know what creature you will be fighting. If you are low on energy, you can circumnavigate them to avoid a confrontation. Knowing what you will be fighting before battle commences enables you to configure and activate the correct gambits before going into battle. And the ability to avoid fights adds an element of stealth to the game that has never been present in the Final Fantasy series before.

SPOnG Rating: A
[i]The Final Fantasy series has a rabid fanbase. But FFXII is a great place for gamers unfamiliar with the series, and unfamiliar with RPGs in general, to come to the party. Its real-time 3D game style and stealth elements will appeal to players for whom random battles and side-on turn-based battles were a turn off. The camera control system is a flaw - but it's the only one in what is one of the finest games I've ever played.
The massive immersive story and fabulous visuals are a treat for all.[/i]