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PS2 | RPG | Final Fantasy XII

Boxart for Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII 136 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.50
  • SOUND: 5.00
  • CONTROL: 5.00
  • FUN FACTOR 5.00
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.5
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.7
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Hands-On: Final Fantasy XII [E3 2004]

Hands-On by Bones | 05/13/2004 | 17:53:14 PM PST

RPG fans haven?t lost sight of one of the biggest and baddest show stealers of the year? Final Fantasy XII

Although many gamers are already touting 2004 as the year of the first-person shooter with high profile titles like Doom 3, Hal-Life 2, Killzone, and Halo 2 coming up fast on the fall horizon, RPG fans haven?t lost sight of one of the biggest and baddest show stealers of the year? Final Fantasy XII. Amidst the fevered chaos that is day-one E3 pandemonium, Star Dingo and his trusty sidekick Bones managed to score a hands-on interview with Yasumi Matsuno - lead designers of this highly anticipated title.

While FFXI has taken the MMORPG genre by storm both in the U.S. and Japan, many fans have waited patiently for the next ?real? installment in the series (meaning a return to the offline/linear gameplay of the previous ten games). Square?s designers told GamePro that FFXII will closely resemble FFX in terms of the linear plot progression and the limited access to Ivalice overworld. However, chocobos and airships (which will not be accessible until later in the game) will still serve as the primary modes of transportation, with free-roaming (like that of FFVII) being limited to situational plot developments.

The world of FFXII is set in the familiar realm of Ivalice which fans will remember from the Final Fantasy Tactics series and Vagrant Story ? both of which were directed by Matsuno. Being a huge fan of Final Fantasy V and its innovative job system, Matsuno has further refined this system to allow for greater degree of character customization. For example, Vaan the fruity haired hero will begin the game with the basic melee combat skills of a fighter but his abilities can switched to those of a mage of thief or ranged attack character as he progresses. The Square bigwigs wouldn?t specify which job types will be available in the final build, but our hands-on time revealed a list of unsurprising additions like white and black mages and songstress/bard characters (no word yet on advanced job types like samurai, gunner or beastmaster). Though still unclear, the job switching in FFXII will not use the dress sphere/grid style interface of FFX-2, but ease of use and simple customization will be emphasized.

The technology present in FFXII falls somewhere in between the medieval look of Final Fantasy Tactics and FFIX and the ultra-realistic appearance of FFVII and FFVIII. Tall buildings, massive airships and crowded city streets exist side by side with swords, armor and animal transportation, creating a unique stylistic blend that gives FFXII a distinct look. According to Matsuno, the setting of this particular Final Fantasy world can be roughly equated to that of the Roman Empire in the first or second centuries AD. Crystals (which were have been a fairly consistent staple of the series) also appear to play a huge role by acting as sources of power for airships and machinery while also providing light for Ivalice.

The three-person party system makes its return, but controlling the group?s movements now requires Vaan (or the party leader) to direct the movements of the group, while the entire party can be made to perform a single function, such as a simultaneous attack or group spell casting. Random enemy encounters have been eliminated, with players picking fights FFXI style and choosing which foes to face. All Final Fantasy titles have had an overriding thematic motif that fueled the dramatic storylines such as ?Love? or ?Friendship?. FFXII will focus on young Vaan?s transformation from a rough and tumble care-free kid into a responsible adult and sky pirate (which, apparently, do not conflict).

While playing we caught a glimpse of a tiny Mandragora enemy (from FFXI) and a familiar Behemoth engaging in combat, but no word was given yet as to which other famous FF bad guys will be making an appearance. One big surprise was the inclusion of ?green? magic ? a clear break from the traditional white/black/red/blue motif of the previous games. Matsuno was tight lipped about exactly how many types of magic groupings would be included, but confirmed the inclusion of several new spell types.

Originally slated for release in the U.S. in time for this year?s holiday rush, FFXII has been rolled back to early 2005 in the US (but as early as late 2004 in Japan). Square said the delay was made to allow their development team more time to cut out extraneous material and streamline the project as a whole. One of the pieces that may hit the cutting room floor is a chess-like minigame in the vein of the popular Tetra Master game made popular in FFVIII (though the designers stressed that all efforts will be made to include it). Also missing will be the monster ranch side quest of previous FF games, though Matsuno was quick to point out that the final product will have no shortage of entertaining minigames and challenging side quests. Though still incomplete, FFXII is already looking like the beautiful, deep and dramatic masterpiece fans have been waiting for.


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