The Battle For Freedom

Aye,

So, after a semester and 110+ hours of gameplay, I finally beat Final Fantasy XII. I wasn't sure before, but I think it is probably my favorite RPG. I mean, no other game has compelled me to drop two full days of playtime into sidequests right before the end; I just did not want it to end. Hell, I'm still not done, I have a few more hunts, three more espers, the deep Henne mines, the origin of darkness...yeah. Awesome. I'm considering a full review, but it is a daunting task. There are so many aspects and systems to that game that deserve attention. Suffice to say, you'll either love it or hate it and your opinion should be obvious within the first few hours.

One thing I must highlight now is the soundtrack, which I love. All great RPGs must have great music, it is a rule. The vast majority was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, with only one song by Nobuo Uematsu. The score is entirely orchestrated, yet manages to avoid the problem some games (and movies) run into of being completely forgettable. The range and variety is astounding, yet all of the songs manage to retain a certain theme about them. No small task considering there are about 100 different pieces.

But wait! There's more! He has scored other games, including Final Fantasy Tactics (and Advance), Radiant Silvergun, Gradius V, Vagrant Story and Odin Sphere. All are on my "to play" list.

Here is to hoping FFXII: Revenant Wings doesn't suck,
Marquis Ondore