Final Fantasy XII is more of an experimental Final Fantasy. There have been many changes in the battle sequences, graphics, and plot. To my knowledge, this is the first Final Fantasy game that didn't revolve around both war and love, as the plot is basically centered around war and greed. This Final Fantasy was a bit of a let down but still is one of the best role playing games on the market. The mini games in Final Fantasy XII are, at times, ridiculous but they can still be fun. Getting involved in the game is not very comparable to the other Final Fantasies because they were much more grabbing and effective but Final Fantasy XII still does a bit more then most role playing games, in regards to grabbing the player.

The battle system in Final Fantasy XII is directed to real time battles. Characters can walk around a map and engage enemies that they see, instead of the screen changing to initiate a random enemy encounter. This is one of the big selling points for Final Fantasy XII and it almost makes up for the lack of a better gripping plot. Maps get interesting because all of the enemies in any certain area usually appear, not just randomly, so high level fiends appear on the map instantly but they don't usual go after your party.

The neat thing about the battle system in Final Fantasy XII is that you can assign each character assignments to do in battle and they will basically automatically do each battle for you. For example, upon sight of an enemy, you can assign your party to automatically attack the foe and when a teammate gets below a certain amount of health, you can assign teammates to automatically heal the injured teammate. This works with nearly all aspects of battle and makes it so that the player doesn't really have to be involved in battles except in special conditions that aren't met by the automatically input procedures.

The story is basically that of a fallen country and its climb up, out of the grip of its military rulers. The story is propped up a bit by pretty decent graphics, especially on the Play Station 2, as this is one of the better visually appeasing video games. Without the graphics and music, Final Fantasy XII would not have been nearly as good of a game.

There are numerous mini games that a player can play in the Final Fantasy XII game. These games range from fishing to acquiring summons and weapons. The vast amount of new summons that can be obtained and the difficulty it is to obtain them really adds to this game.

Another cool aspect to consider in Final Fantasy XII is the abilities grid. During battle, Action Points (AP) are applied to this abilities grid in which each character can gain the abilities of branding certain weapons, wearing certain equipment, casting magic, using abilities, and other miscellaneous abilities. This makes the game considerably more fun as each character can use basically all the others' skills but with their own strengths and weaknesses.

There is also a vast amount of weapons, armor, and items that can be found and purchased throughout the game. As treasure chests in Final Fantasy XII each have random items, replaying the game is pretty different every time.

I recommend playing this game because it really is pretty good, I'm just used to the best of the Final Fantasy games. Overall, I recommend this game because it has good graphics, is fun to play, has a big world and lots of adventure, and is a great game overall.