The year is 1987 and “Final Fantasy” hits Japan, saving Squaresoft from bankruptcy and defining the role-playing game genre forever. Nineteen years later the game developer, Squaresoft (now SquareEnix), has delivered game after game, each one better than the last.

Although “Final Fantasy” is a series, there are few traditional sequels. Each “Final Fantasy” is set in a completely different world with all new characters. There are a few thematic similarities, such as the fuzzy moogle characters.

This is what makes “Final Fantasy XII” very interesting. Unlike its predecessors, “Final Fantasy XII” is set in a world called Ivalice that was already established in a previous “Final Fantasy” game. Hardcore fans will recognize Ivalice from “Final Fantasy Tactics” for the Playstation. But just like previous “Final Fantasy” games, the storyline is the main focal point that will draw the player in.

It’s been two years since the Archardian Empire engulfed the land of Dalmasca and murdered their king. Vaan, a young arrogant beggar and orphan living in the Dalmascan capital Rabanastre, unknowingly gets caught up with the resistance movement and begins to unveil the conspiracy that led to the fall of Dalmasca.

The gameplay for “Final Fantasy XII” is drastically different from its predecessors. There are no random battle encounters. All enemies can be seen roaming around the world and combat is in real-time, reminiscent of MMORPGs (massively-multiplayer online role playing games). During battle, you do not have complete control over your party like other “Final Fantasy” games. Instead, you control one character at a time and as your characters level up, they will learn to better assist you through the Gambit system. The Gambit system is simply the option in the game that allows you to control exactly how your characters will act by giving certain actions priority over others. This newly designed battle system may take some time to get used to for some players. Instead of just leveling up automatically by class, “Final Fantasy XII” employs the License system. The License system is set up like a big “Scrabble” board where you earn License points in battle and purchase one square at a time each having a certain ability. Each time you purchase a square, other squares around it with different abilities become available for purchase. This also takes some getting used to. But once you get the hang of it, the character customization options become limitless. The one downside is that the decisions you make on the License board might come back to haunt you later in the game.

The art direction is excellent in giving the world of Ivalice a mix of a futuristic and medieval setting. Although, the veteran music composer Nobuo Uematsu retired, the soundtrack does very well in complementing “Final Fantasy XII’s” epic storyline.

Overall, “Final Fantasy XII” lives up to the hype and does a great service to the prestigious “Final Fantasy” name, ensuring the series’ success for years to come.