Final Fantasy XII

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Final Fantasy XII
An armor-clad man with a long cape holds two curved swords. He stands above the logo of Final Fantasy XII. The piece is done in a pastel watercolor style with a large vertical streak on the right side fading from peach to pink to blue.
Box artwork for Final Fantasy XII designed by Yoshitaka Amano
Developer(s) Square Enix Product Development Division 4[1]
Publisher(s) Square Enix
Distributor(s)
Director(s) Hiroyuki Ito
Hiroshi Minagawa
Producer(s) Hiroyuki Ito
Designer(s) Hiroyuki Ito
(game designer)
Kazutoyo Maehiro
(battle system designer)
Kazuhiro Kataoka
(map designer)
Programmer(s) Takashi Katano
(main system & event programmer)
Yoshinori Tsuchida
(main real-time rendering programmer)
Taku Murata
(programming supervisor)
Artist(s) Hiroshi Minagawa
(visual designer & character texture supervisor)
Hideo Minaba
(art director)
Isamu Kamikokuryo
(background art director)
Akihiko Yoshida
(character designer & background design supervisor)
Writer(s) Jun Akiyama
(event director & scenario director)
Daisuke Watanabe
(scenario writer)
Miwa Shoda
(scenario writer)
Kyoko Kitahara
(dialogue)
Yasumi Matsuno
(story)
Composer(s) See Music
Series Final Fantasy
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Release date(s) JP 20060316March 16, 2006
NA 20061031October 31, 2006
AU 20070222February 22, 2007
EU 20070223February 23, 2007
INT 20070807August 7, 2007
Genre(s) Role-playing, Open world
Mode(s) Single-player

Final Fantasy XII (ファイナルファンタジーXII Fainaru Fantajī Tuerubu?) is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2 platform. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the mainline Final Fantasy series and the last offline title in the mainline series to be released exclusively on PlayStation hardware. The game introduced several innovations to the offline titles in the mainline series: a seamless battle system, a controllable camera, a customizable "gambit" system which lets the player automatically control the actions of characters; and a "license" system determines which abilities and equipment are used by characters. Final Fantasy XII also includes elements from previous games in the series such as summoned monsters, Chocobos, and Moogles.

The game takes place in the fictional land of Ivalice, where the empires of Archadia and Rozarria are waging an endless war. Dalmasca, a small kingdom, is caught between the warring nations. When Dalmasca is annexed by Archadia, its princess, Ashe, creates a resistance movement. During the struggle, she meets Vaan, a young adventurer who dreams of commanding an airship. They are quickly joined by a band of allies; together, they rally against the tyranny of the Archadian Empire.

Final Fantasy XII received universally high review scores, and earned numerous "Game of the Year" awards in various categories from noted video game publications. Selling more than two million copies in Japan, it became the fourth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of 2006 worldwide. As of March 2007, over 5.2 million copies of the game have been shipped worldwide. A sequel, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, was released for the Nintendo DS in 2007.

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

Throughout the game, the player directly controls the on-screen character from a third-person perspective to interact with people, objects, and enemies. Unlike previous games in the series, the player can also control the camera with the right analog stick, allowing for a 360° view of the surroundings.[2] While in towns and cities, the player may only see from the perspective of Vaan, but any character may be controlled in the field. The world of Final Fantasy XII is rendered to scale relative to the characters in it; instead of a caricature of the character roaming around miniature terrain, as found in the earlier Final Fantasy games, every area is represented proportionally. The player navigates the overworld by foot, Chocobo, or airship.[3] Players may save their game to a memory card using save crystals or gate crystals, and may use the latter to teleport between gate crystals.[4] An in-game bestiary provides incidental information about the world of Final Fantasy XII.[5]

Final Fantasy XII restructures the system of earning gil, the currency of the Final Fantasy games; instead of gil, most enemies drop "loot" which can be sold at shops.[6] This ties into a new battle mechanic which rewards the player with improved loot for slaying a particular type of enemy multiple times in a row.[7] Selling different types of loot also unlocks a bazaar option in shops, which provides items at a lower cost, or items exclusive to the bazaar.[6]

[edit] Battle system

A man wielding a sword and a woman wielding a spear fight two armored horse-like monsters.
In Active Dimension Battle (ADB), characters move freely and attack as soon as they are ready. Blue lines depict the player's targets and red lines depict those of the enemies.

The elimination of "Random encounters", started in Final Fantasy XI continues in Final Fantasy XII; the previously common transition to a separate battle screen is absent.[8] Instead, enemies are visible in the overworld area before an engagement and the player may choose to fight or avoid them. Battles unfold in real time, using a system called "Active Dimension Battle" (ADB). A battle begins when the party comes within range of an aggressive enemy, if the party attacks an enemy, or if a story event initiates a confrontation.[8] When a character or enemy begins to perform an action, target lines connect characters to other party members or enemies; different colors represent the type of action.[9] The player may swap to and issue commands to any of the three characters in the battle party at will; however, guest characters are controlled by the game's artificial intelligence.[10] Battle commands are initiated through a series of menus, and include Attack, Magicks & Technicks, Mist, Gambits, and Items. The player may switch any active character with an inactive character at any time, unless the active character is targeted by an attack or ability. Characters who are knocked out may also be substituted.

A new feature in Final Fantasy XII is the "gambit" system, which allows the player to program each character to perform certain commands in battle in response to specified conditions.[11] Using gambits, the player may set reactions to different stimuli for each character. Each gambit consists of three parts: a target, an action, and a priority. The target specifies which ally or foe to act on and the condition for applying the action. For example, the target "Ally: HP < 70%" causes the character to target any ally whose hit points have fallen below 70%. The action is the command to be performed on the target. The priority determines which gambit to perform when multiple gambits are triggered. These heuristics guide the characters when acting autonomously, though player-directed commands are always given top priority.[11]

In Final Fantasy XII, a mysterious phenomenon known as "Mist" is the key energy which allows characters to cast summoning magic and perform "Quickenings". After defeating an Esper in combat, the player will be able to summon it to the battlefield.[12] Similar to Final Fantasy X, the summoned creatures become active participants in battle,[12] as opposed to the cinematic attacks seen in previous games in the series. Unlike Final Fantasy X, however, Espers follow hidden gambits, rather than the player's direct command.[12] The summoner remains an active member in the fight, able to attack and cast support magic, instead of leaving the party or standing idle while the summoned creature fights.[12] An Esper will leave the battle if either the summoner or itself is knocked out, its time limit expires, or it executes its special attack.[12] Some Espers have origins in Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and others are derived from the final bosses of previous Final Fantasy games such as Chaos, the final boss of the first Final Fantasy, and Zeromus, the final boss of Final Fantasy IV.

Final Fantasy XII introduces "Quickenings", a new Limit Break system unique compared to those in previous games in the series.[13] Characters learn Quickenings by progressing to specific panels on the License Board.[13] Each character can learn three Quickenings, which are unique to that character.[13] Characters may string together Quickenings into large combo attacks, called Mist Chains, via timed button presses.[13] If a Mist Chain reaches a certain length, a final strike will be initiated at the end of the Quickening cycle, called a Concurrence.[13]

The License Board; raised panel icons indicate acquired licenses.

[edit] Growth system

As in many role-playing games, characters "level up" each time they earn a set number of experience points from defeating enemies; each level gained increases the character's statistics and consequently, improves performance in battle.[14] Statistics include hit points, the amount of damage a character can receive; strength, the power of the character's physical attacks; and magic, the potency of the character's magical spells.[14]

In addition to leveling up, players may improve their characters via the License Board. The License Board is an array of panels that contain "licenses"—permits which allow a character to perform certain actions.[15] The board is split into two parts; the upper part contains Magick, Technick, Accessory, and Augment (stat increases and other permanent buffs) licenses, and the bottom part is filled mostly with Weapon and Armor licenses.[16] To use a Magick, Technick, or piece of equipment, the character must obtain its corresponding license by spending the required amount of LP (License Points) to permit its use.[15] LP are earned in battle along with the experience points. Like the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X, all characters may obtain all licenses on the board; however, each Quickening and Esper license may only be activated by a single character.[17]

[edit] Plot

[edit] Setting

Main article: Ivalice

Final Fantasy XII is set within the land of Ivalice during an age when "magic was commonplace" and "airships plied the skies, crowding out the heavens". At this time, magicite, a magic-rich mineral, is commonly used in magic spells[18] and in powering airships—a popular form of transportation in Ivalice.[19] Ivalice is divided into three continents:[20] Ordalia, Valendia, and Kerwon.[2] Ordalia is located in the western part of Ivalice. The Rozarrian Empire makes its home in the vast inland plains of this continent as the eastern portion of it is largely desert or "jagd"—lawless regions so rich in Mist (the ethereal manifestation of magicite) that airships cannot function.[21] Valendia is the home of Imperial Archadia, where vast and lush plains dot the landscape.[22] Central to the story is Dalmasca, a small kingdom between the two continents and empires. Located in the middle of the Galtean Peninsula of Ordalia, Dalmasca is surrounded by an expanse of desert. The temperate climate of Dalmasca differs from the cold environs of Kerwon and the lush plains of Valendia and Ordalia.[23] During this time, Ivalice is beset by the pending war between the forces of Rozarria and Archadia. Caught between the two powerful Empires, Dalmasca and a number of smaller nations have already been subjugated by Archadia two years before the game begins.

[edit] Characters

Main article: Characters of Final Fantasy XII
Cast of Final Fantasy XII; the characters were designed by Akihiko Yoshida.

The six main playable characters in Final Fantasy XII are Vaan, an energetic orphan of Rabanastre who dreams of becoming a sky pirate; Ashe, a determined princess of Dalmasca who lost her father and husband in the Archadian invasion; Basch, a disgraced knight of Dalmasca charged with treason for slaying the king; Balthier, a gentlemanly sky pirate who pilots his airship, the Strahl; Fran, Balthier's partner and a Viera exile whose knowledge extends to legends and myths; and Penelo, Vaan's childhood friend who accompanies him on journeys to "keep an eye on him".[24]

The Archadian Empire is ruled by House Solidor, headed by Emperor Gramis.[25] The family also consists of two siblings, Vayne and Larsa, the former a military genius and the latter a charismatic seeker of peace. Judge Magisters, upholders of Archadian law,[25] protect House Solidor and execute every command issued by the ruling family. The technological marvels of airships and synthetic nethicite—a form of magicite that absorbs Mist—are thanks to Doctor Cid, a prominent researcher from Archadia.[25] The Resistance against Archadia includes Dalmascan knight Vossler, an ally of Basch; Marquis Halim Ondore IV, the game's narrator and ruler of the skycity Bhujerba; Reddas, a sky pirate based in the port at Balfonheim; and the Rozarrian Empire, of which Al-Cid Margrace is a prince of the ruling family.[25] The mythos of Final Fantasy XII revolves around a character known as Dynast-King Raithwall, a man who once united Ivalice to create the Galtean Alliance in ages past.

[edit] Story

Final Fantasy XII begins in Dalmasca's capital city of Rabanastre, where the happiness from the union of Princess Ashe of Dalmasca and Prince Rasler of Nabradia is interrupted by the Archadian Empire's invasion of Nabradia. In the subsequent war, Nabradia and Dalmasca are subjugated by Archadia; Prince Rasler is killed, and the Dalmascan king Raminas, after signing a treaty of surrender, is apparently assassinated by the Dalmascan captain Basch. Reks, a young knight under Basch's command, bears witness to the assassination, but later dies of his injuries. Marquis Ondore announces that Basch has been executed and Princess Ashe has committed suicide.[26]

Two years later, Vaan, the younger brother of Reks, is living as a street urchin in Rabanastre. Despite his friend Penelo's objections, he infiltrates the Rabanastre palace during a dinner celebrating the appointment of Vayne Solidor as consul. During the infiltration, Vaan encounters Balthier and Fran, a pair of sky pirates who are after the magicite that Vaan took from the royal treasury. Their escape attempt fails when a battle breaks out between Imperial troops and Dalmascan Resistance forces, and they end up in the sewers where they stumble upon the Resistance leader, Amalia. Vaan, Balthier, and Fran are captured by the Archadians and detained at the Nalbina Dungeons. In Nalbina, the three encounter Basch, imprisoned but alive, and they escape with him; Basch pleads that his twin brother, Gabranth, had posed as him on the night of the treaty and was the true assassin. While skeptical at first, Vaan eventually believes him.[27] With the help of Balthier and Fran, the party then travels to Bhujerba, where Penelo is kidnapped by Ba'Gamnan, a bounty hunter trying to catch Balthier. While rescuing Penelo, the party meets Lamont, a curious boy who is Vayne's younger brother, Larsa, in disguise.[28] Basch is also able to confront the Marquis, who captures the party and detains them on board the Archadian airship Leviathan, headed by Judge Ghis.

On the Leviathan, the party is reunited with Amalia, who is revealed to be Princess Ashe.[29] Ghis takes Vaan's magicite, a royal Dalmascan artifact, and sends it to Archadia. The company escapes from the airship after defeating Ghis and returns to Bhujerba; however, lacking the magicite, Ashe has no proof of her identity and Ondore suggests that Ashe remain hidden in Bhujerba.[30] Instead, Ashe escapes and attempts to collect the treasures of Dynast-King Raithwall, which would prove her royal blood.[31] The party acquires the Dawn Shard, a piece of "deifacted Nethicite", from Raithwall's Tomb, but Ghis seizes it. The small piece of magicite destroys the Leviathan, Ghis, and his fleet, while Ashe and her party barely escape alive. The company later encounters Larsa, who seeks a peace treaty between Dalmasca and the empire; Ashe initially objects, but Larsa convinces her to pursue a treaty in order to protect Dalmasca. She goes to Mt. Bur-Omisace to seek Gran Kiltias Anastasis' approval of her as queen of Dalmasca.[32]

The party learns in Mt. Bur-Omisace that many other influential people also hope to avert war.[33] Larsa, who had been investigating Vayne's connection to the manufacted Nethicite,[34] had made contact with Al-Cid Margrace, a member of the Rozarrian Empire ruling family, to convince the two Empires to cease their war. They plan to announce Ashe's status as Dalmascan Queen and to persuade the Archadian emperor Gramis not to go to war, but the plan is thwarted when the Emperor is killed, supposedly by Archadian Senate Chairman Gregoroth, and Vayne assumes the throne of Arcadia.[35][36] With Anastasis' aid, Ashe retrieves the Sword of Kings, which can destroy Nethicite. While she obtains the sword, Anastasis is killed by Judge Bergan and Larsa is brought back to Archadia. After defeating Bergan, Ashe's party travels to Archades and the Draklor Laboratory, Doctor Cid's base of operations. Cid escapes and leaves clues that lead them to Giruvegan,[37] the supposed location of the Sun-cryst, the source of all deifacted Nethicite.[38] While the whole party is able to enter Giruvegan, only Ashe encounters the makers of the Sun-cryst, the immortal Occuria, who "pull the strings of history"; they give her the Treaty Blade to cut pieces of her own.[39]

In a cutscene, it is revealed that Doctor Cid's Nethicite research was augmented by knowledge from the Occurian heretic, Venat, who had allied with Cid and Vayne in order to put the "reins of History back in the hands of Man".[40][41] Vayne aims to become the new Dynast-King by using manufacted Nethicite to conquer all of Ivalice.[40] Cid, revealed to be Balthier's father, was obsessed with researching the Nethicite's power after his own visit to Giruvegan and initial encounter with Venat.[42] Their expansion campaign—which led to the Dalmasca's occupation and the destruction of the city of Nabudis—was made to obtain and study deifacted Nethicite.[43]

Ashe is faced with the choice to heed the Occuria and take pieces of the Sun-cryst for her revenge or to destroy it and end the Occurian control over history. Still undecided, Ashe and the party travel to the Pharos at Ridorana Cataract, where the Sun-cryst is located, accompanied by the pirate Reddas. At the top of the tower they face Gabranth,[44] who admits to killing King Raminas in an attempt to force Ashe to give in to her hate.[45] After they overpower him, Cid arrives and fights the party; they defeat him, but before he dies he uses Nethicite shards to harness the full power of the Sun-cryst. Reddas sacrifices himself to destroy it.[46]

Ashe learns from Al-Cid that a war between Archadia and the Resistance group led by Marquis Ondore is about to take place in Rabanastre. The Sky Fortress Bahamut, an enormous, Nethicite-fueled airship armed with incredibly powerful weapons, had absorbed the incredible amount of Mist released by the destruction of the Sun-cryst and now hovers above Rabanastre. Infiltrating the Bahamut with the aid of the Resistance, Basch confronts Gabranth, who is impressed by Basch's loyalty.[47] The party encounters Vayne and Larsa in the midst of an argument over Vayne's plot for power, to which Larsa objects strongly;[48] Larsa and Gabranth ally with the party to destroy Vayne and Venat. After Vayne's defeat, Ashe announces the end of the war,[49] and Larsa takes over the Imperial Army.[50] The party escapes the Bahamut, now out of fuel after the final battle, with Gabranth's body and Larsa. Balthier and Fran remain on board the Bahamut, steering it away from Rabanastre to prevent a collision, though contact with them is lost.

In the following year, Ashe becomes Queen of Dalmasca, and Basch replaces Gabranth as Judge Magister, serving as guardian to Larsa, now Emperor of Archadia. Vaan acquires his own airship, which he operates with Penelo. Balthier and Fran escape from Bahamut and survive to recover the Strahl and go to Bervenia. The game ends with Vaan and Penelo setting out to visit them, embarking on another adventure.[51]

[edit] Development

Akitoshi Kawazu (left) and Hiroshi Minagawa at the Final Fantasy XII London HMV Launch Party in 2007

Development for Final Fantasy XII began in 2001.[52] Final Fantasy Tactics director Yasumi Matsuno, originally announced as producer and co-director (with Hiroyuki Ito), was forced to bow out of both roles midway through due to health concerns.[53][54] Hiroshi Minagawa took his place as co-director while Akitoshi Kawazu, of SaGa series fame, became the executive producer.[55][56] Series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi was disappointed by Matsuno's departure and declined to play the game beyond its introduction.[57]

The desire to move away from random encounters was present since the beginning of development.[58] This desire fueled the development of the Active Dimension Battle system so players could seamlessly move from battle to exploration. The gambit system was conceived early on as a way to facilitate this change.[58] Battle system designer Hiroshi Tomomatsu states that it gradually moved away from a complex and rigid formula to the more flexible form seen in the final version of the game.[59] Ito drew inspiration for gambits from plays in American football where each team member has a specific job to do based on the conditions and desired outcome. As for the license system, he explained that needing "licenses" to perform certain actions was a natural extension of the rigid structured society of Archadia, as epitomized by its Judges.[58]

At the early stages of development, Minagawa revealed that numerous ideas and features were planned for the game, but were dropped from the final stages due to certain constraints and hardware limitations. Some of these included the ability for a second player to join in the gameplay, enabling a two-player mode. Another idea that was given a considerable amount of thought was the ability to recruit non-player characters to join in the mob hunts. Due to the technical limitations of the console and multiple number of characters joining the fray, the development phase took longer than expected, causing delays.[60]

Design inspiration came from a mix of medieval Mediterranean countries as demonstrated by the architectural styles found throughout Ivalice along with many of the races populating the region.[61] The art team visited Turkey, which influenced the game's Mediterranean-style setting.[62] The developers also used styles and deco from other sources including areas in India and New York City.[62][63] Of note is the use of Sanskrit in the city of Bhujerba. Phrases such as "svagatam" (welcome) and titles like "parijanah" (guide) are lifted directly from Sanskrit. Hideo Minaba, developer and co-art director with Isamu Kamikokuryō, mentions that the team tried to bring out Arabic culture in the design of the game.[64] War is a prominent theme of the game and the developers confirmed that the cutscene battles are influenced by Ancient Rome.[63] When asked to comment on the fan observation of a Star Wars influence, Minaba replied that although he was a fan of the Star Wars series, it was not necessarily an influence to the game's designs.[62]

Basch was initially meant to be the main character of the story, but the focus was eventually shifted to Vaan and Penelo when the two characters were created later in development.[65] The development team explained that their previous game, Vagrant Story, which featured a "strong man in his prime" as the protagonist had been unsuccessful and unpopular; the change regarding Final Fantasy XII from a "big and tough" protagonist to a younger, youthful one was thus decided after targeting demographics were considered. With the casting of dorama actor Kouhei Takeda for the voice acting and motion capture, Vaan became less feminine and more "active, upbeat bright and positive".[65][66] Comments were made about the similarity between main character designer and background design supervisor Akihiko Yoshida's creations and those of Tetsuya Nomura, another Square Enix character designer. Yoshida feels this connection is sparked by the style of color used by both artists, which involves a color consistency between the characters and the environments.[66] The designers stated that non-human characters and races feature a prominent role in the game,[64] which was influenced by an interest in history among the developers.[62]

During the English localization process, Alexander O. Smith, who had previously worked on Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy X, acted as producer and translator.[67] While still preserving the meaning behind the Japanese script written by Daisuke Watanabe and Miwa Shoda, Smith made the decision to use different dialects of English to reproduce the regional differences in pronunciation found in the Japanese version.[68][69] He also tried to distance the game from the "flat reads" found in other dubbed work by casting voice actors who had experience in theatre work.[69] In terms of general changes, the localization team introduced widescreen 16:9 ratio support and reinserted scenes that were left out of the original Japanese version for political reasons and to preserve an "All Ages" CERO rating.[70][71]

On November 15, 2005, a playable demo of the game was shipped with the North American release of Dragon Quest VIII.[72] To commemorate the release of Final Fantasy XII, playable demos of the English version were available at DigitalLife's Gaming Pavilion in New York on October 11, 2006, a day dubbed "Final Fantasy XII Gamer's Day".[73] Additionally, Square Enix gave fans the chance to cosplay as characters from Final Fantasy XII. Each person was asked to show Square Enix three photos of his or her costume for a chance to win a trip to New York and participate in the Final Fantasy XII Gamer's Day event.[74]

As of July 30, 2008, Final Fantasy XII holds the Guinness World Record for longest development period in a video game production. The record states it took a total of five years, spanning from 2001 until its release in 2006.[75] At a Final Fantasy XII "postmortem" at MIT in March 2009, Hiroshi Minagawa mentioned that a large portion of the development time of Final Fantasy XII was devoted to the creation of custom tools used for the development of the game.[76]

[edit] Music

Main article: Music of Final Fantasy XII

Hitoshi Sakimoto composed most of the game's soundtrack; Masaharu Iwata and Hayato Matsuo created two and seven tracks respectively, while Nobuo Uematsu, following his departure from Square Enix in 2004, only contributed the theme song.[77] Sakimoto experienced difficulty following in Uematsu's footsteps, but he decided to create a unique soundtrack in his own way.[78][79] "Kiss Me Good-Bye", the theme song for Final Fantasy XII, was performed in both English and Japanese by Angela Aki.[80] Uematsu noted Aki's style of playing the keyboard while singing reminded him of his childhood idol, Elton John, which was one of the reasons he chose her.[81] The English version of the song was featured in both the Japanese and North American versions of the game. In addition to the theme song, violinist Taro Hakase co-composed, arranged, and performed the game's main instrumental theme, Symphonic Poem "Hope" along with Yuji Toriyama.[82]

Two promotional soundtracks were released before the original soundtrack, Symphonic Poem "Hope" and The Best of the Final Fantasy XII Soundtrack, on March 1 and March 15, 2006, respectively. The former contains all the music used in the game's trailer performed by Taro Hakase, including Symphonic Poem "Hope".[83] The original soundtrack itself was released in Japan on May 31, 2006.[84] It consists of 4 CDs with 100 tracks, and includes promotional tracks not in the final version of the game.[85] The CD single for "Kiss Me Good-Bye" was released on the March 15, 2006.[86] A limited edition was also released, featuring a DVD containing the music video for "Kiss Me Good-Bye".[86] Tofu Records has released an abridged version of the original soundtrack, which contains 31 songs, including "Kiss Me Good-Bye".[87]

[edit] Versions and merchandise

Bottles of Final Fantasy XII Potions

On March 16, 2006, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan released a special Final Fantasy XII package, which contained a PlayStation 2 game system, the Final Fantasy XII game, a standard DualShock controller, and a vertical console stand.[88][89] The Japanese third-party manufacturer Hori also released Final Fantasy XII memory cards on the day of the game's release; stickers of Final Fantasy XII characters are included.[90] Game peripheral maker Logicool (Logitech's Japanese branch) released a special edition Final Fantasy XII controller alongside the title on March 16.[91] Suntory produced "Final Fantasy XII Potion"—a drink containing such ingredients as royal jelly, chamomile, sage, thyme, and marjoram. The drinks became commercially available in Japan on March 7, 2006. Suntory also released a Final Fantasy XII Premium Box, which came with a Final Fantasy XII collector's card. The Potion was a limited edition product and is no longer available.[92] Final Fantasy XII was also adapted into a manga by Gin Amou. Square Enix published the series in a total of five tankōbon volumes from December 22, 2006 to August 22, 2009.[93][94]

Studio BentStuff published three Ultimania books: Final Fantasy XII Battle Ultimania and the Final Fantasy XII Scenario Ultimania on June 16, 2006, and Final Fantasy XII Ultimania Ω on November 24, 2006. The Battle Ultimania provides a description and analysis of the new battle system and its components, and developer interviews.[95] The Scenario Ultimania describes the main scenarios in the game, profiles on the characters and areas in Ivalice, developer interviews, and details on each location.[95] The last guide, the Ultimania Ω, includes voice actor interviews, the complete story of Final Fantasy XII including additional character profiles, a collection of artworks and illustrations, the complete play guide,[96] and a novella written by Benny Matsuyama, author of Hoshi wo Meguru Otome from the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω Guide.[97] Another Ultimania edition, the Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System Ultimania, was released on September 6, 2007, as a guide book for the international version of the game.[98] On December 18, 2012 the game will be re-released as part of the Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Ultimate Box Japanese package.[99]

For the North American release, a "Collector's Edition" was available through GameStop and EB Games.[100] This edition includes the original game packaged in a metallic case along with a special bonus disc, which contains Final Fantasy XII developer interviews, an art gallery, U.S. and Japanese trailers, and a featurette entitled "History of Final Fantasy", which gives a brief overview of most released and upcoming Final Fantasy games.[101] On January 26, 2007, Square Enix Product Blog revealed full-color Gabranth, Ashe, Balthier, and Vaan figures.[102]

An international version of the game called Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System was announced on May 10, 2007.[103] It would be released in Japan on August 9, 2007 as part of both Final Fantasy 20th anniversary and Ivalice Alliance.[104] The game includes twelve License Boards available (instead of the original one), each corresponding to a different Zodiac sign and job. The battle system as a whole has been tweaked; guest characters and summons are controllable by the player, and holding the L1 button doubles the game's running speed. Additionally, the game features the English voices and the widescreen 16:9 ratio support of the North American version, along with a bonus disc based on the one initially released with the North American version. There is also a "New Game+" option, "New Game- (minus)" (where characters do not gain experience), and a "Trial Mode" which allows the player to hunt monsters in 100 different maps to gain items and money.[105][106][107][108]

[edit] Reception

 Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 90.77%[109]
Metacritic 92/100[110]
Review scores
Publication Score
1UP.com A[111]
Computer and Video Games 9.0/10[112]
Edge 9/10[113]
Electronic Gaming Monthly 9.0/10[114]
Eurogamer 10/10[115]
Famitsu 40/40[116]
Game Informer 9.25/10[117]
GamePro 5/5 stars[118]
GameSpot 9.0/10[119]
GameSpy 5/5 stars[120]
GamesRadar 8/10[121]
GameTrailers 8.0/10[122]
IGN 9.5/10[123]
Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) 10/10[124]
PSM3 9.4/10[125]
X-Play 5/5 stars[126]
Awards
Entity Award
Edge Awards 2006 Best Game[127]
Famitsu Awards 2006 Game of the Year Award[128]
Japan Game Awards 2006 Grand Award,[129]
Award for Excellence
GameSpot Awards 2006 Best PS2 Game[130]
IGN Awards 2006 Best PS2 Game[131]

Final Fantasy XII sold more than 1,764,000 copies in its first week in Japan, almost equaling the sales of Final Fantasy X in its first week.[132] A Square Enix conference report stated that Final Fantasy XII sold more than 2.38 million copies in Japan in the two weeks since its March 16, 2006 release.[133] In North America, Final Fantasy XII shipped approximately 1.5 million copies in its first week.[134] As of March 2007, the game has shipped over 5.2 million copies worldwide.[135] It was the fourth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of 2006 worldwide.[136]

On March 16, 2006, Final Fantasy XII became the sixth game to receive a perfect score from the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, making it the first Final Fantasy game and the first PlayStation 2 title to do so. It is also the second Yasumi Matsuno title to garner a perfect score, the first being Vagrant Story. The game was praised for its graphics, scenarios, game system, and the freshness it brought to the Final Fantasy series.[116] The game was critically acclaimed by many reviewers outside of Japan even before its release in those territories. It was praised for its seamless transitions between full motion video segments and the in-game engine,[137] and was voted number one for Best Art Style on IGN's weekly Top Ten.[138] Newtype USA named Final Fantasy XII its "Game of the Month" for November 2006, praised the gameplay, graphics, and story, and called it "the best RPG to have been released for any Sony platform".[139]

Although GameSpot lauded the gambit and license systems as an innovative and in-depth way for the player to control the characters, it criticized them for being too complicated and difficult to adjust to, especially for newer players of the series. The reviewer also criticized the sometimes tedious back and forth travel. On the other hand, GameSpot took particular note of the "excellent" voice cast.[119] IGN praised the game's rich storyline and artistic direction, shown through its "sheer depth of character". It also assuaged criticism that the gambit system would "let the game play itself", countering that gambits do not function without a player. However, it noted that, while "still extremely strong", Final Fantasy XII has one of the series' weaker soundtracks.[123]

Executive producer Akitoshi Kawazu was pleased by Famitsu's rating but admitted that he thought the game was not perfect; he felt that the storyline did not meet some fans' expectations.[140] Kawazu expressed his frustration and regrets regarding the storyline, citing creative differences between the PlayOnline and Final Fantasy Tactics members of the development team.[141]

Final Fantasy XII was named best PlayStation 2 game and best role-playing game by numerous video game journals and websites, including GameSpot, GameSpy, and IGN.[130][131][142][143] Both Edge and Famitsu awarded it Game of the Year 2006.[127][128] The Japan Game Awards 2006 honored Final Fantasy XII with their "Grand Award" and "Award for Excellence" and the PlayStation Awards 2006 bestowed the "Double Platinum Prize".[129][144][145] It was selected for the list "Top 100 New Japanese Styles", a list praising Japanese creativity and new innovations.[146] Final Fantasy XII also received nominations in such categories as best role-playing game, art direction, character design, and musical score at the Interactive Achievement Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards, BAFTA Video Games Awards, Spike Video Game Awards, and the Satellite Awards.[147][148][149][150]

[edit] Legacy

A sequel to Final Fantasy XII was released for the Nintendo DS in 2007, entitled Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. It takes place one year after the events of Final Fantasy XII, following the adventures of Vaan.[151] This game became one of four titles in the Ivalice Alliance, along with the international version of Final Fantasy XII.[152] Fortress, a spin-off action game initially developed by GRIN, was intended to take place in Ivalice following the events of Revenant Wings and to be a "game with an epic scale both in story and production values".[153][154] After six months of development, Square Enix reclaimed the project without paying GRIN, due to concerns over the quality of the work, which led to GRIN declaring bankruptcy.[155][156] Although rumored to be in development at a different studio, at an interview at E3 2011, Fortress was officially declared to be "suspended" by Motomu Toriyama, director of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, claiming that it will "never be released".[157] In 2009, BioWare cited Final Fantasy XII's 'Gambit System' as an influence on their role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins.[158]

[edit] References

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  4. ^ Square Enix, ed. (2006). Final Fantasy XII North American instruction manual. Square Enix. p. 15.
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  17. ^ Square Enix, ed. (2006). Final Fantasy XII North American instruction manual. Square Enix. p. 23.
  18. ^ Sage Knowledge 12 of 78 (Hybrid Gator Bestiary entry) Magicite - Common name for stones containing magickal power, or as it is commonly manifest, Mist. Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31)
  19. ^ Sage Knowledge 14 of 78 (Steeling Bestiary entry) Airships - Currently, they are one of the most popular forms of transportation in Ivalice. Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31)
  20. ^ Sage Knowledge 29 of 78 (Sleipnir Bestiary entry)
    Ivalice - The region consisting of the three continents of Valendia, Ordalia, and Kerwon, blessed throughout with verdant natural landscapes and climatic conditions supporting a great variety of life. Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31)
  21. ^ Sage Knowledge 30 of 78 (Urstrix Bestiary entry) Ordalia - Continent on the western edge of Ivalice. The vast plains in the interior are home to the great Rozarrian Empire. To the east of Rozarria, the land is arid and largely desert. Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31)
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  26. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Ondore: Prayer, too, for the noble Princess Ashe, who, wrought with Grief at her Kingdom's Defeat, has taken her own Life. Know also that Capt. Basch fon Ronsenburg, for Incitement of Sedition and the Assassination of H.R.M. King Raminas, has been found Guilty of High Treason and put to his Death."
  27. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. (Square Enix). PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Vaan: You don't have to keep apologizing. Really, it's all right. I know it wasn't your fault. I see that now. You didn't kill my brother. It was the Empire. My brother trusted you. And he was right."
  28. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. (Square Enix). PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Larsa: Vayne Solidor, the Consul, is my brother."
  29. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Ghis: Come now, come now. Have you forgotten your manners? This is hardly the courtesy due... The late Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. / Vaan: Princess?!"
  30. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Ondore: You may yet be a Princess, but without proof of your identity, you are powerless. You will remain with me. We do nothing till the time is right."
  31. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Ashe: I'm going to retrieve the Dawn Shard. It's the proof that I need. I know where it's hidden. I'll return his airship later."
  32. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Larsa: Lady Ashe, let us go to Bur-Omisace. With the blessing of His Grace the Gran Kiltias Anastasis...you may rightly wear your crown, and declare the restoration of the Kingdom of Dalmasca. As Queen, you can call for peace between the Empire and Dalmasca...and stop Marquis Ondore."
  33. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Anastasis: In Archadia, Larsa. In Rozarria, Al-Cid. They dream not of war. Should empire join with empire, the way will open for a new Ivalice in our time."
  34. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Larsa: Dalmasca would be the battlefield! What if Nethicite were used on Rabanastre? You know my brother would do this!"
  35. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Al-Cid: The Emperor Gramis is no more. His life was taken."
  36. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Drace: A viper amongst our Senators!? / Vayne: With Chairman Gregoroth as its head. He confessed and passed his own sentence."
  37. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Cid: Am I right? I am, aren't I. A worthy daughter of the Dynast-King! You would do well to go to Giruvegan. Who knows? You may receive a new Stone for your trouble."
  38. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Gerun: Seek you the Sun-cryst, slumb'ring star. In tower on distant shore it dreams. The mother of all Nethicite, the source of its unending power."
  39. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Gerun: Now take this sword, this Treaty-Blade. Occurian seal, mark of your worth. Cut deep the Cryst and seize your Shards. Wield Dynast-King's power! Destroy Venat!"
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  42. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. (Square Enix). PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Balthier: He was obsessed with Nethicite... He'd babble nonsense, blind to aught but the Stone's power. He'd talk about some "Eynah", or was it "Venat"? [...] That's when he lost his heart to Nethicite, lost himself. And I suppose that's when I lost my father."
  43. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. (Square Enix). PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Vayne: We conquered two kingdoms, that you might study these "baubles". / Cid: Oh, I am grateful for the sacrifice. Without it, Manufacted Nethicite would have eluded us—an unrivaled weapon, I warrant you."
  44. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Ashe: In all Dalmasca's history, not once did we rely on the Dusk Shard. Our people resolved never to use it, though their need might be dire. That was the Dalmasca I wanted back... I will destroy the Sun-cryst! I will discard the Stone!"
  45. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Gabranth: Yes, it was I who wore Basch's face - who cut down the Life of Dalmasca. Lady Ashe! Your father's murderer is here!"
  46. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Reddas: 2 years past, he took the Midlight Shard and used it, not knowing what he did...and Nabudis was blown away. Cid ordered this of him to learn the Nethicite's true power. That man swore never to let such terrible power be used again. He forsook his Judicer's plate, and his name. / Gabranth: Judge Zecht!"
  47. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Gabranth: You confound me, brother! You failed Landis, you failed Dalmasca...all you were to protect. Yet you still hold on to your honor. How? / Basch: I had someone more important to defend. And defend her I have. How is it that you have survived? Is it not because you defend Lord Larsa?"
  48. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Vayne: Observe well, Larsa. Watch and mark you the suffering of one who must rule, yet lacks the power. / Larsa: No. No, brother. I will not. Though I lack your power, I will still persist."
  49. ^ Square Enix. Final Fantasy XII. PlayStation 2. (2006-10-31) "Ashe: This is Ashelia Dalmasca. I confirm what Judge Magister Gabranth and Larsa Solidor have said here. Please. Stand down your attack. The war is over. Ivalice looks to the horizon. A new day has dawned. We are free!"
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