New Final Fantasy embodies series' legacy

The latest iteration of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XII, is the last title from Square-Enix's long running series that will be on Sony's Playstation 2 (PS2) game console.

Some say that this marks the end of the PS2's "era," especially with the Playstation 3 being released today. I had concerns that Final Fantasy XII was over-hyped, but this iteration of the Final Fantasy truly embodies the spirit of the series.

The world of Final Fantasy XII will be familiar to fans and players of Final Fantasy Tactics. The story takes place in the world of Ivalice, a land teetering on the brink of war between its two great states, the western state of Rozarria and the eastern state of Archadia. Caught in the middle is the kingdom of Dalmasca, which is trying in vain to repel the Archadian Empire's advance.

After Dalmasca falls to Archadian occupation, enters the story's main character Vaan, an Aladdin-like hero who takes pleasure in stealing from the Imperial troops.

He hatches a bold plan to break into the Imperial palace and steal several treasures which rightfully belong to the Dalmascans.

Unfortunately a group of rebel Dalmascans and a "sky pirate" named Balthier have business at the palace as well, thrusting Vaan into an adventure that he would never have imagined.

The story is told through the use of voice-overs, in-game events, standard text boxes and beautifully rendered, full-motion video scenes. The game also brings back the use of various kinds of melee and ranged weapons as well as magic and summoned creatures in order to fight enemies in the game. In addition, there is a decent sound track, though it is not quite as memorable as those of other Final Fantasy titles.

Of course, it is the new features that Final Fantasy XII brings to the series that will have diehard fans wondering if this installment is worth the money.

The battle system has changed from the traditional venue where your party is lined up against the enemy, to a more free-roaming style of combat that is reminiscent of modern role-playing games such as World of Warcraft or Guild Wars.

This feature makes it easier to avoid encountering enemies if you are simply trying to get from point A to point B without being hassled.

Characters advance in terms of skills, spells and weapon expertise using the License Board, which is similar to the Sphere Grid from Final Fantasy X. The License Board differs from the Sphere Grid in that every character starts at the same status and level, giving the player complete control over the development of each party member.

In addition, newly-acquired spells, skills and weapons cannot be used until the appropriate license is obtained.

Combat with enemies in Final Fantasy XII is an interestingly hands-off affair, due to the new "Gambit System," a feature new to the series. Gambits are essentially commands that can be programmed for party members that will allow them to react however the player wants given a certain situation.

For example, a gambit can be created so that healers in a party will automatically restore a character's health if it drops below 50 percent.

Square-Enix has learned from their mistakes; most notably, the story line is intriguing and the characters are more complex than in former Final Fantasy games.

Using gambits for combat is strange at first, but is ultimately rewarding since it can remove some of the rigors of combat against some lesser enemies. Final Fantasy XII also features a large assortment of mini-games and side quests that will keep any player at their PS2 for hours.

The game comes in both a regular and collector's edition. The collector's edition contains a bonus DVD filled with developer interviews and an overview of the Final Fantasy series up to this current game.

Considering that the collector's version is only $10 more, it is well worth the extra cost for hard core Final Fantasy fans.