"I'm more complex than you think." - Squall Leonheart
First things first, the standard and much loved chibi anime style that had been part of the soul of Final Fantasy was now discarded away to bring in a more realistic approach that suited Tetsuya Nomura's character designs and fans were split on the decision. Some liked it, some hated it. Some just plain simply hated it because Squall was too much of a dark brooding loner and his outfit made it worse.
Then there was the endless debate about the junction and draw systems, banes of the entire game. People would cry foul that drawing magic from enemies was a total waste of time, that the junction system was just way too stupid and went completely over their heads. However, both of these systems were basically the same as last time just evolved into an entirely different section; the constant draw system being the same as those weido's that level upto level 99, and the junction system being the same as the esper's or materia system found in both FFVI and FFVII.
Regardless, Final Fantasy VIII was one of the most talked about game for all the wrong reasons. No one complimented on it's stellar storyline filled with a young man not wanting to revisit his past or ever let someone get close. The adversary of Final Fantasy VIII never showed up till very late in the game because it "used" people to gain it's own measures. Everything was all so experimental to Square, as if they had the foundations of a game and started a clean slate to see what they could really do.
Experimentation of a tried and true series
Lately, the series is turning into another experimental age. First comes the announcement of an entirely online game that can never be played offline. Then the shock declaration of a direct sequel to Final Fantasy X that almost had the same division of love vs. hate which FFVIII is proud to represent. Never before in the series had a direct sequel taken place. To make matters worse, the game itself didn't seem to take itself seriously or revolutionise anything. Next on the line of experimental production was Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles which graced us and should've just been called Seiken Densetsu 5 as well as ditched the connectivity issues that created it's downfall. Now there are two more announcements. One which is another direct sequel but in movie form (that being Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children), the other being a game but done by an entirely different team from Square.
The praised Product Development Division 4 team from Square with members that had created the Ogre Battle series, Final Fantasy Tactics series and Vagrant Story are now behind the latest incarnation of the series that will never die. Yasumi Matsuno is the main man creating a game that will be scrutinized like nothing before since FFVIII, and boy does he have a large commitment to live upto.
Back to Ivalice we go!
Three games based on the Final Fantasy brand, all contained in a land simply called Ivalice. On first look of the game you'd swear that Tetsuya Nomura is again behind the look of the game, however, it's Akihiko Yoshida who's work from Vagrant Story can easily be seen in FFXII. The setting is based on a medieval Mediterranean style filled with airships and grand battles that plague the land.
The Arcadia Empire has been waging war against the Rozaria Imperium continent of Valentia for years, with the Arcadians then attacking the tiny Dalmaska Kingdom. This is where one of our main heroes is introduced, the heir of the Dalmaskan throne, Ashe. For resistence, Ashe forms a corp of mercenaries hired to pursue the Arcadian leaders and defeat them. One such hired mercenary is Vaan, a petty thief in Dalmaska who has lost both parents due to the war and dreams of one day being a sky pirate and soaring the limitless sky of Ivalice.
Viera's, Bangaa's and Judges
Not only is the world of Ivalice transported into the latest title of Final Fantasy, but so have many races that populated Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. One such person of the race of Viera's happens to be a female companion named Fran. The only other announced comrade is Balflear, a human that is trained in the warfare of guns. Judges are now predominately the antagonists of the game, more guided on the path of terror than righteousness that was found in FFT Advance. As shown in Yoshitaka Amano's logo design, Judges will now be used for fear and domination. Bangaa's seem to be a split personality and in the video released by Square, one Bangaa seems to be sided with a Judge. Currently the development team are thinking of using different fonts or entirely muddled text (Al Bhed style) to differentiate races and dialects.
Fans of Nobuo Uematsu will be pleased and dismayed that he will be composing the game's main theme, but that is all. Instead, in his steed Hitoshi Sakimoto will take the helm and be composing all tracks. The man from Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story has made a name for himself with class soundtracks and surely his music will be welcome with arms wide open.
Swords and sorcery may break my bones..
As of yet, nothing concrete has been detailed on the battle system. Matsuno himself has been very mute on the way to play a procedure that is integral within the game. The sparse evidence that is known is Final Fantasy X-2's battle system has been the base of Final Fantasy XII's. Fans of the series will remind themselves that FFX-2 itself borrowed heavily from Final Fantasy V in regards to the way you fight, which could mean that jobs and classes will be used heavily in FFXII; something which Yasumi Matsuno has used predominately in all of his creations.
Other than that, characters will face enemies in two lines and there shall be three slots on the battle screen which can be filled with blue gems. No information regarding the gems has been announced. As well as that, there is the new comments by Square Enix president Yoichi Wada stating that the developers weren't very content with the traditional values of Final Fantasy where walking, fighting, levelling and exploring to gain special items. Instead, Matsuno seems to be more wanting an interactive game with the user in an effort to gain more of a universal happiness or even more emotional ties with the characters of Final Fantasy XII.
Let's hope this will be the best of the series yet (as we always hope, pray and sacrifice people for) and that the entire new development team will infuse something important into the series that has been missing for the last several years. PALGN will definitely have more as the game gets nearer to it's Japanese release date after May.
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