Where can I start? How about, "I loved it!" I have a long history with the Final Fantasy series. I played the original Final Fantasy on the NES (and didn't think much of it). Final Fantasy III (aka VI) on the SNES piqued my interest. But, Final Fantasy VII was the first RPG to really keep me playing for a long time with 70+ hours. Final Fantasy VIII was less; like 60 hours. Final Fantasy IX I didn't finish (after probably around 10 hours of playing I quit). Then came Final Fantasy X, which set a new record of 120+ hours. Final Fantasy X-2 was okay, I finished it, but I couldn't tell you what happened in the end and I'm sure I didn't put much more than 30 hours into it. I skipped Final Fantasy XI, which brings me to Final Fantasy XII. My final save for Final Fantasy XII clocks in a 207 hours 51 minutes and 20 seconds. You may as well stop reading now because that says it all. You can't play a game for 200+ hours and then come away saying, "nah, it wasn't that great." I'm totally gah-gah for this game and it had me hooked from the very start.
FF12 presents a wonderfully realized 3D world. And, for the first time ever, I found myself wishing I could visit the locales in the game. Starting with Rabanastre, the very first city you encounter, it's just gorgeous. I'm stunned at the amount of detail they've been able to pack into the fully 3D rendered city. The buildings are beautiful and the colors are stunning. I literally spent so much time there that I have the city memorized.
Lowtown, which is supposed to be the dirty underbelly of the city, is beautiful too. I get the sense that it would be cool and damp under there; the kind of place I would hang out if I lived there. Rabanastre borders a desert and, by the looks of the clothing, it's quite hot there. I could see myself lurking below the city, selling my wares and fixing computers.
Some people knock FF12 for its combat system, but it does so may things right that I can't really see any flaws. There are no random battles, yay! You can see all your enemies before you enter battle with them, giving you the option to avoid combat. Furthermore, the ridiculous repetition of combat is circumvented by the gambit system. This system allows you to choose a battle strategy the favors certain actions according to certain conditions. For instance, if I set a gambit to heal myself when my health is below 50%, then my character would do just that. I could also set a gambit to automatically attack the closest enemy. If I prioritize the healing gambit, then I'll attack the closest enemy until my health is below 50%, then I'll heal myself. And, using gambits, I've effectively made it so that I can enter any battle and win without pressing a button.
Of course, that's just a simple example of the gambit system. The myriad options available are mind numbing. Yet, I really appreciated this type of combat. It allowed me to think about battles in terms of strategy, rather than tactics. However, if I desired, I could disable all gambits and return to an active-time type of battle system similar to previous Final Fantasy games. It all depends on the level of control I want to use.
The story is inscrutable, as all Final Fantasy game stories are. Yet this time it's not a love story. In fact, the story may be the weak point of the game. But I'm not really motivated by cut-scenes anymore; the old Final Fantasy VIII days are over. Story rarely motivates me to continue playing in any game these days, so a lack luster story isn't something I'm going to cry about. I was sufficiently motivated to play for a huge amount of time, and I don't think any story could have kept me interested that long.
I don't want to ramble on forever, so I'll end here. There's plenty of spells, armor, gambits, items and everything else to keep you occupied for months with this game. It is truly a masterpiece!
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