In the world of gaming, Final Fantasy is truly a title that needs no introduction. Doing so would be akin to introducing a six-year-old to Spongebob Squarepants, or a grandmother to Tony Bennett. Despite the series' ubiquity, Final Fantasy XII makes strides toward breaking free from the mold cast over twenty years ago. Taking cues from Final Fantasy XI, Square's unprecedented MMORPG, the twelfth installment forgoes many of the staples of previous games. The tried-and-true, turn-based battle system, elaborate storyline and character classes have been nixed, for better or for worse. The changes provide an entirely different gaming experience? Indeed, they do. Whether they improve upon the already established formula, however, is debatable.

Final Fantasy XII takes place in Ivalice, a world familiar to many gamers, as this universe is also the setting of Final Fantasy Tactics. It is a perfect fit for the game's politically-driven storyline. In Ivalice, powerful judges rule over the body politic by enforcing the will of the king and protecting the royal family. They are purveyors of freedom through the king's wisdom and deliverers of justice to those who truly deserve it. So, when the King of Dalmasca is suspiciously murdered, thrusting upstart dictator Vayne Solidor into power, much trust is lost in the government's allegiance to the people. Through a series of introductory events, motives are revealed and bonds are formed between characters.

The story could use some work.

In a very uninspired fashion, you initially take control of Vaan, a naïve, aspiring sky pirate. Within the first few hours of the game, the rest of the party is realized and recruited. Included in said party are your standard character types - Ashe, the indecisive, vigilante princess; Basch, a former knight framed for murder; Fran and Balthier, partners in pirating; and Penelo, the obligatory, third-wheel mage wannabe. One of Final Fantasy XII's shortcomings is the lack of any significant character development. Their personas seem to drift about, never locking into place. Considering the series' history of heart-wrenching plotlines, XII's flimsy story and uninteresting relationships are disappointing. For example, a love-triangle between Ashe, Penelo and Vaan seems to be brewing but nothing develops between them aside from a seemingly weak - and at times confusing - companionship. The party's overall motivation to continue onward as a unit is seriously contrived. This is a loyalty-based bond. They are together because the narrative dictates that they team up. Sadly, the writers of the game failed to create characters that genuinely care about each other. Fighting for one's homeland is always a valid plot device, but it is not at all original.

In similar fashion, the game's creators have developed a leveling system that allows for an equally unremarkable amount of distinction between characters. The class system is absent, replaced by a skill grid similar to that of the series' tenth installment. This time around, there is one identical grid, shared by all characters, with no real limitations as to where the characters can progress. In FFX, each character was restricted to a specific area until later in the game when the player had the choice to branch off in one direction or another. In FFXII, it is possible for all six characters to possess every skill and augment in the game, in any order the player chooses. While having a party chock full of super-capable warriors sounds cool in theory, it actually has a negative effect on the gameplay. Unlike previous Final Fantasy games, where each character had their own specialization and specific purpose, those in Final Fantasy XII feel flat because of their identical fighting prowess.

With so little story and character customization, the developers obviously focused a majority of their manpower on perfecting the combat, and it shows in more ways than one. The aforementioned negligence is still a significant flaw, but the new gameplay is magnificently executed. The new battle system was a point of contention for many at first, but actually is one of the most refined to date. First of all, it provides the absolute best party management ever conceived. Via the use of gambits (action modifying commands), you can be in complete control of the entire party at all times. Fighting an enemy that won't let up with status ailments? Set up a gambit for your magic users telling them to cast Esuna whenever somebody is afflicted. You can also set certain actions to occur when characters or enemies lose a particular amount of HP or MP. This is especially useful as characters can automatically keep others above a set HP limit or attack the enemy that has the least hit points. The possible combinations of gambits, while not endless, make micro-management fun because they eliminate the tedium of constant menu navigation. The gambit system compliments the real-time battle system well. While the battle does stop when selecting a command, less manual commands are required to maintain your party in battle which results in much faster-paced engagements.

The FFXII universe is very similar to an MMO. The wide-open, mostly streaming world of Ivalice could be a sister world to some seen in those types of games. The developers eschewed the miniaturized globe of old, instead allowing players to literally run from one end of the world to another at full scale, fighting enemies and stopping in towns along the way. This adds an element of cohesiveness that many traditional role-playing games lack. There are load times between large areas, but they are minimal and do not detract from that sense of connectedness. The game's towns are equally impressive. FFXII's locales are heavily populated by numerous unique NPCs, many with their own share in the narrative. Tons of shops provide plenty of ways to spend your hard earned money as well as information on hunts, marks, and side-quests.

The new battle system is one of the highlights of the game.

Speaking of hunts, they are abundant, comprising a very large chunk of play-time if you choose to complete them all. There are two types of such missions in the game, both providing a unique challenge. Marks are commissioned hunts that you will find posted in each town's bar or inn. These hunts are commissioned by NPCs in different areas of the game world. To take a mark, you must meet with the author of the posting to confirm your interest. Marks consist of the most elite monsters in the game and should be confronted with caution. However, with great risk comes great reward. Some of the game's best gear can only be obtained by defeating the most powerful of the lot. Your other opportunity to wrangle rare monsters becomes available later in the game via the Phon Coast Hunt Club. These missions differ from Marks in that there are no commissioners to supply you with clues or payment. Instead, you have to track down and defeat the sometimes impossibly elusive creatures on your own collecting trophies on your way that can be traded for items. There isn't much reward in this for casual gamers, but for completists the hunt club extends the gameplay in a big way.

Final Fantasy XII's graphical presentation is a treat for all gamers. The art direction is both inventive and refined, obviously drawing influence from other Square franchises such as Vagrant Story. The style is an amalgam of medieval and modern, which suits the mature yet whimsical tone of the storyline and characters. While the characters' personalities benefit none from poor writing, the visual design imbues them with enough spirit to make the first misgivings nearly dismissible. Still, the most impressive facet of the graphical presentation is the scale of everything. As mentioned, the world is absolutely humongous and rendered at full scale. As you wander through town, you will notice the intricacy of the architecture and the amount of detail given to the street vendors and NPCs. Only when you look upward to see the entire city, stretched out and sprawling, will you get an idea of the amount of care taken by the game's designers. There is minor pop-up when in large open areas, but character models and textures do not seem to degrade as the screen becomes more and more populated with models and effects. Given the limitations of the platform, FFXII's graphics are a testament to the developers' talent.

The sound design is equally engrossing. Though many have a soft-spot for Uematsu's work within the franchise, the music in recent games has proven that there is room for a fresh face every now and again. Final Fantasy X saw the inclusion of some modern rock tracks as well as the demise of midi-based orchestration. XII's soundtrack leans toward the clean production of the preceding game's score and still tunes into the acute sense of melody that Uematsu employed in earlier games. The resulting score is a taste of both the old and new which is a pleasure for veterans and trainees alike.

With a series as renowned and beloved as Final Fantasy, paying proper homage to the series' legacy while injecting fresh content is a task that has to grow increasingly difficult with each new entry. Square-Enix rarely disappoints with its flagship title. Ultimately, Final Fantasy XII delivers with a refined presentation and an inventive combat system, but the less than spectacular narrative and lackluster characters impede upon the game reaching true greatness. At face value, FFXII is a huge leap of faith for Square-Enix and a successful experiment in gameplay design. As a package deal, the story sells the rest short.