Final Fantasy XII
Metacritic
OpenCritic
Weak
IGDB
Players
OpenCritic Score
Score Distribution
"Though it hurts me personally to lambaste Final Fantasy XIII the way I have, what pains me even more is the poor design and direction I had to endure. Granted, the entire experience wasn’t that bad. Pockets of enjoyment exist throughout and the second quarter of the game is thoroughly enjoyable, but the introductory sequence is a little too hand-holdy and the last half of the game is unforgivably bland and vapid. If you’re like me and have waited years to try this title out, I plead that you look elsewhere. The mystery of what FFXIII holds is far more pleasing than the experience itself."
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About Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII dropped on PlayStation 2 in March 2006 as a massive entry from Square Enix. It places you in Ivalice, a world torn apart by an endless war between the Archadian and Rozarrian empires. You follow Princess Ashe after her kingdom of Dalmasca gets swallowed by the Empire. She teams up with Vaan, a kid who just wants to fly a ship, plus a ragtag group of allies. They fight back against tyranny together. This is not a simple adventure. It is a deep role-playing experience with complex politics and heavy combat systems. The game runs on PS2 but offers a scale that felt huge at the time. You get one single-player campaign to explore every inch of this conflict without any multiplayer options or online features.
Gameplay
You control Vaan and his party in real-time battles where you do not pick turns manually. The License Board system lets you spend ability points to unlock specific weapon skills, magicks, and passive traits. You set gambits to automate actions for your teammates during fights so they act based on conditions like low health or enemy type. Exploration happens over a massive open map where you can freely run between towns and dungeons. You hunt rare enemies for loot and collectible items. The airship system lets you travel quickly across the world once you build it. Combat feels frantic since you manage multiple party members simultaneously while dodging attacks and casting spells without stopping to select menu options.
What Players Think
PlayPile users have mixed feelings about this title based on our tracking data. Metacritic gave it a 92 out of 100, but OpenCritic shows a weak 52 from critic reviews. IGDB ratings sit at 87.5 with 315 user votes. Our community average playtime is around 60 hours for a main story run. Completion rates show only 34% of players finish the entire game due to its length and difficulty spikes. Review snippets from RPG Fan highlight design frustrations that mirror the issues found in later entries. Hardcore Gamer called out mediocre story elements alongside linear progression blocks. The most common mood among players is "satisfied" despite the grind, though some list "frustrated" regarding the early game pacing.
PlayPile's Take
This game costs around 19.99 on modern re-releases and offers 50+ achievements to chase. It works best for people who want a long RPG with deep customization options and do not mind slow pacing in the first forty hours. The price is fair if you can handle the linear sections before the world opens up. Critics note the poor direction compared to other entries, yet many players still finish it. You should play this only if you enjoy managing complex party builds rather than simple action sequences. Do not expect a tight narrative or instant gratification in the first few hours of gameplay.
Game Modes
Single player
IGDB Rating
87.5
RAWG Rating
4.2
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