"Gone is the charm of the old Final Fantasies"

Introduction

As a loyal fan of the Final Fantasy RPG series since FFVI, I have come to expect a certain level of competency from the series. I have always equated a grand storyline, an engaging soundtrack, lovable and memorable characters and enjoyable minigames to a Final Fantasy. In short, a Final Fantasy is a game that I spend all day anticipating to play and spend all night playing.

Moreover, I have expected much from Final Fantasy games. I always expect Chocobo minigames, a sprawling world map, a kick-ass airship which you can explore and talk to your characters inside in, etc. etc. For me, this provided the charm that the Final Fantasy series has come to offer. If the Suikoden series has its 108 stars and the Metal Gear series has its radar and codec, then Final Fantasy has these. Imagine my surprise when the latest installment disappointingly falls short of all these things. Yet I will go into the details of the above later.

Don't get me wrong, I see promise in this game and it delivered on numerous aspects of the game. Yet after finishing the game, I was overcome by a sort of emptiness, a longing for something more, an experience alien to my other playthroughs of previous installments. In short, I was disappointed in a big way and I am sure I'm not alone. For most of us who have been following the series since FFVI or earlier, this game feels more like one step forward and two steps back.

First, let's look at what I liked:

Graphics (9/10)

The graphics in this game are awesome. Square Enix really did an amazing job rendering the locales and the monsters. I was already wowed by the graphics of FFX and this game feels like the FFX battles and locales were taken out of the turn-based format and into an action-RPG arena. The transition seems almost seamless. Of course, there is some loss of detail in the transition (as an illustration, compare the Besaid island road to the Phon coast), but this can be excused due to the complexity of rendering such massive dungeons. In the end, some detail would need to be left out, a problem not encountered when designing a random encounter pathway as in FFX.

Moreover, the locations in the game lived up to most of my expectations of a Final Fantasy world. They provided a sense of realism, a sense of "being there". And the grandeur of it all held me in awe. I was enthralled by the details of the entryway to Giruvegan. Even more so by the passageway towards the Great Crystal. Bur-Omisace truly felt like a temple high atop the mountains. The Yensa Sandsea gave a sense of desolation and aridity while the Salikawood made me reminisce about FFVII's Ancient Forest and FFX's Macalania wood, with the 'walking along branches' thing going on. The Phon Hunter camp felt like a nice place to live and Bhujerba really gave the impression of a city lacking for space and having to compensate by squeezing its alleys to make room for the growing population.

Thus, this game has no problems with graphics as far as I'm concerned. It raises the bar yet again on how beautiful FF games can truly be.

Sound (8/10)

The music in this game was good enough but it was not at par with the behemoths of the FF series. In every series that I have played, there were always four or five tracks that stand out from the game. (I especially love the Turk music from FFVII, first heard when battling Reno for the first time.) But in this game, there were no such tracks. Sure, the music fit the locations well enough in the sense that it contributed to the sense of "being there." However, it did not stir anything in me, not like the goofy Kefka music or the action-pumped Triple Triad BG music.

The voice quality was good enough as well. It was not as good as FFX's voice acting, but I don't give much weight to voice quality anyway.

When it comes down to it, the score for this game does not live up to what I have come to expect from a final fantasy score. However, on its own, it is a good enough soundtrack that, when compared to other games out there, will hold its own.

Gameplay (8/10)

Unlike other gamers, I actually liked the gameplay in FFXII. I know that the License Board, Quickenings and Espers leave something to be desired, but the Gambit System and Real-Time battle system more than make up for those lackluster aspects. I particularly enjoyed tweaking AI commands mid-battle to adapt to a certain enemy's strengths and weaknesses. It gave a sense of action-RPG-ness into the game while maintaining the old-school charm that the ATB gauges provided.

Moreover, the game managed to create an impressive marriage of the turn-based RPGs that were the previous FF's and the MMORPG that was FFXI. In a sense, it was a sort of synthesis of the games that have brought the FF series to its position upon a pedestal high above other RPG's out there. For this, I applaud Square Enix for their innovation and creativity.

Now, let's take a look at what I didn't like:

Game Extras (3/10)

One of the things I hate most in this game was the lack of the things that were trademarks of the Final Fantasy series. Of course I missed the old school summons as well as Tonberry, Cactuar and the rest of the gang. However, I did like the replacements that filled these voids. What I didn't like were the obviously absent aspects of the game that we had come to know and love.

Gone are the mini-games that have made FF's before so much fun to play. There is not even a single enjoyable mini-game in this game that provides some solace to the dungeon-weary gamer who seeks to relax a bit in some random town playing senseless games for dirt-cheap prizes. 7 had its Gold Saucer, 8 had its Triple Triad, 10 its Blitzball. Hell, I would even prefer 9's Tetra Master over Mob and Rare Game hunting. If hunting are the mini-games, then what a surprise that the relaxation and escape from dungeon-crawling would be: *gasp* Dungeon-crawling while hunting for monsters!!!! How cool is that?

Another thing immediately absent would be the explorable airship. In place of the Ragnaroks and the Highwinds, we have the invisibility-equipped, ultra-fast Strahl. So invisible that we can't see anything inside. So fast that we can't even walk around inside while going to our next destination. The cherry on top is of course this: we don't get the Strahl until about two dungeons away from the final stage. My, my, how useful is that. I guess the delay in its use is consistent with the fact that Moogles are lazier in Ivalice. And since Balthier had a brilliant idea of letting a Moogle fix his airship, we have ourselves a dungeon-crawling, walk-till-you-drop party.

On second thought, there is no use in exploring the airship, since there isn't usually enough time to do so, considering we only have one nation and two half-nations to explore. This gives a grand total of: TWO explorable nations, 80% of which are dungeons. We really get to see the depth of Ivalice with this. Thanks Square Enix. Gone are the days when the entire world could be explored using an airship, when we could ram into flying weapons that hover around craters and mountains or when pink monsters would attack flying dirigibles controlled by gamblers. Part of the appeal of Final Fantasy was the breadth and depth of the explorable world. Yet there has been a trend moving away from that tradition beginning in FFX. The loss of the overworld map in FFX was a forgivable adjustment to the PS2 but the loss of over 75% of the explorable world in FFXII takes the cake.

So there it is, in place of the richness, depth and replayability presented by airships, world maps and mini-games, we have mark-hunting, rare game hunting and dungeon-crawling. That should be good for hours of fun. If we spend about 60 hours on exploration, then we will have about 65 hours of playing time, counting the pathetic amount of cutscenes in this "uber-fun" romp.

The saving grace of this game when it comes to extras would have to be the bestiary, which is a very interesting read. However, try taking a guess as to how it will be filled up. You guessed it: by killing monsters. That should be good for replayability.

Character Development (2/10)

The characters in this game are a far cry from the FF characters that we have come to know and love. I remember the good old days when after finishing a game, I would still daydream in class about how Cid would probably be cooking up his next Airship, how Setzer would totally kick Edgar and Sabin's asses at poker, how Steiner and Beatrix's kids would turn out, etc. etc. The Final Fantasy series has always had a knack for humanizing its in-game characters, making us connect with them, really feel what they feel. Where else could you sympathize with a Frog-eating freak upon meeting his(or her?) master. Or get teary-eyed upon hearing the low, mournful howl of a Red wolf upon the death of his grandfather? Truly, the characters of the FF series were what made it into such an emotional ride.

Yet the characters in this game seem to lack this humanity and this is how the connection is lost. And this can't just be blamed to the lack of cutscenes (although this lack plays a major part in the poor character development). After all, aren't Amarant and Kimahri still memorable characters even with their lack of communication skills and camera exposure? What is missing in this installment is the fleshing out of these characters. Sure, we are given the skeletons, the bare-bones upon which great character development could take place; but these bones need to be given flesh in order to be lovable. The characters are only stereotypes and cliches because they did not grow into more complex, solid personas. After all, aren't a lot of other FF characters cliches in their own sense? The loyal knight that is Steiner, the master thief that is Locke, the repentant Imperial dog who was Celes, the heartbroken lover Vincent, and the list goes on. But the difference between the immature ninja Yuffie and the devoted pirate Fran is that we got to learn how Yuffie came to be an immature ninja, whereas we never learn why Fran became a pirate so devoted to Balthier.

This, I believe is what is lamentable in this installment, the fact that all the characters have no depth, no motivation. At countless times while playing, I found myself wishing that I controlled a party with members ranging from Montblanc, Gabranth, Larsa, Reddas, Al-Cid, and Supinelu along with Balthier, Basch and Ashe. At least this varied cast of characters could be given other motivations apart from being "along for the ride," an overused theme found in all of Fran, Penelo and Vaan.

Don't even get me started on Penelo and Vaan. Vaan, for his part, says "I want to be a sky pirate," meets up with one, sees the guy who 'killed' his brother, goes into a rage, and upon escaping from the prison, he's all "let's be friends" with Basch, not even bothering to confirm Basch's story. Obviously a very rushed way of reconciling character conflicts. But there's more! Apparently, upon being friends with Basch, Vaan is at peace with the world no longer picking fights with Basch. This is evident considering he doesn't speak for the rest of the game, except probably when being rude to Fran or pushing the plot along by asking "What is that?" or "Who is that?" and other countless variants. Oh, he also says "Reddas..." after the Pharos events. Penelo, on the other hand, has even less motivation. She justs "wants to be with Vaan". And that's it. She has no use whatsoever. She is a mediocre party member, she joins the party at a few levels below Vaan and she doesn't contribute anything story-wise. The team could have probably gotten more use out of a fat Bangaa warrior looking for Ba'Gamnan. Now that would be a real, believable, complex character.

In the end, perhaps the reason why Character development is so weak is because there was no grand backdrop against which they could be painted upon. This brings me to my second big qualm about this game:

Plot and Storyline (2/10)

Square-Enix always had a penchant for creating an engaging storyline, a heart-rending plot with twists and turns from out of nowhere. This is evident in games even outside the FF series, notably the two Kingdom Hearts and the Dragon Quests. Yet this is surprisingly absent from the giant plothole that is FFXII.

Sure, the game is fast-paced and intense in the beginning, a trademark of Final Fantasy games since the first one came out. The player is thrust immediately into action, the confusion and unknown aspects of the event slowly given form. FFXII delivers this initial confusion perfectly. Yet at a certain point in the game, the story is lost, with only a few cutscenes interspersed here and there, as if to remind the player that "Hey, there's a story here. This is not all dungeon-crawling." The game never picks up after the initial intense cutscenes. Very disappointing.

What is extremely interesting in the Final Fantasy plotlines up to FFX is the feeling of helplessness of the characters when they begin to embark on a quest they know is much bigger than themselves. This can be seen in FFVII when, in the hopes of toppling Shin-Ra, the characters get themselves involved in a battle to save the planet from Sephiroth's Meteor. The same goes with FFVII where a battle against Galbadia escalates into a grand adventure culminating in the battle with Ultimecia. We see the same pattern again in Terra's struggle in FFVI leading to a world-wide disaster and in Zidane and Co.'s rebellion against Alexandria that leads to a reckoning with Kuja. Finally, FFX is no different, throwing Tidus into a journey that involves toppling Sin.

It is these struggles in the face of a responsibility to protect the world that characters truly find themselves. It is in this adversity that they distinguish themselves from others. Faced with impending doom, Cloud confronts his demons and defeats Sephiroth, Squall learns how to truly love, and Zidane realizes what fulfillment there is in selflessness. It is this transition from selfishness to otherness that makes watching these characters' journeys so interesting to watch. It is this world-wide threat that is absent in Final Fantasy XII.

And it is this catastrophe, this crisis, that curiously coincides with the name Final Fantasy, where unlikely heroes attempt to make a fantasy out of their finale. Yet this is completely absent in FFXII. The threat presented here is not a threat to the world, but a threat to A NATION. JUST ONE NATION. It is so far removed from the rich tradition of epic storylines that Final Fantasy is known for that I would scarcely consider it a Final Fantasy.

Playing this game feels like playing a Suikoden clone, with all its politics and bureaucratic squabbling. Don't get me wrong, I love suikoden, and I love it mostly because of its politics and bureaucracy. This is part of Suikoden's charm, it's why I keep playing it. And of course, Suikoden has an excuse to keep its story regionalistic since it is framed in a much grander scale that the continuity of the Suikoden games seeks to preserve. Yet to attempt the same regionalism in a Final Fantasy is stupid because Final Fantasy XIII will not deal with the same world as FFXII. After FFXII, we will never get to revisit Ivalice again (except possibly in an FFXII-2, which I have no plans of buying if ever one does come out) and this is what irks me the most.

I have always been of the belief that the Final Fantasy games were symbolic of Square's own Final Fantasy, how they made a new beginning of themselves after being faced with dire adversity. Subsequent Final Fantasy games have had that theme, of remaking the world after being threatened with total destruction. How are we to see Ivalice's remaking if there is no threat of destruction, no impending disaster? The absence of this motif from FFXII suggests a loss of the vision of what this series stands for: A New Beginning.

In the end, I must say that this game had the potential to be great, it had the potential to be this generation's own Final Fantasy in the same way that FFVII was to my generation and FFVI was to a generation before. It is sad to think that the series that defined how a good RPG should be made is now clutching at straws. We should always remember that good graphics does not a good RPG make. It is the story, the emotional stirring that is more important, not the WOW factor. Because in a few years' time, the better, shinier games will surpass the graphics of today. But what is left behind, as in all other FF's, is the story, the experience we had flying on the Highwind, burrowing with Figaro Castle, getting lost in Eshtar, deciphering Al Bhed and experiencing eternal rain in Burmecia.

Here's to hoping that FF13 brings back the glory days of Final Fantasy..

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 12/11/06