Final Fantasy XII - The Crystal is Back...again
The Final Fantasy series has enjoyed it's immense longevity for much the same reason that most other heavily-sequelized franchises tend to fade away into obscurity. No two Final Fantasy games are ever really alike. They're not even usually set in the same universe/reality as each other, but they do share some common elements - Chocobos, Moogles, people named Cid (FFXII actually has two!) etc... That being said, XII does not disappoint with its fresh perspective on console-based RPG gameplay, and thorough rejuvination of the Final Fantasy brand. Personally I prefer traditional console RPG's and it really gets my blood boiling when some reviewer starts criticizing a game for being traditional (see pretty much any review for the phenominal Dragon Quest VIII). And I would have liked to see a return to some of the older conventions in the FF universe - random encounters, four character (all at once) parties, stories surrounding crystals. Although FFXII doesn't really ha