Final Fantasy XII

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is a console role-playing game produced by Square Enix for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console. The game was released on March 16, 2006 in Japan.  The North American release is scheduled for October 31,2006 [link]. The European and Australian releases are unknown at this time.  On November 15, 2005, a playable demo of the game was shipped with the North American release of Dragon Quest VIII. Though not a direct sequel to any previous Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy XII features several concepts introduced in the  Final Fantasy Tactics series.

Yasumi Matsuno, originally announced as both producer and director, was forced to bow out of both roles midway through production due to health concerns. In his place, Hiroyuki Ito and Hiroshi Minagawa took over directorial duties, with Akitoshi Kawazu assuming the role of the executive producer. Matsuno remains credited for "Original Work/Scenario Plot/Supervision". Hitoshi Sakimoto was the music composer for the game, and series veteran Nobuo Uematsu contributed one new composition — the vocal theme, "Kiss Me Good-Bye", performed by Angela Aki. Renowned violinist Taro Hakase provided performances for Symphonic Poem "Hope", which served as a promotional theme along with "Kiss Me Good-Bye".

On March 16, 2006 the game was reviewed by Famitsu, and became only the sixth game to receive a perfect 40/40 score, as well as the first Final Fantasy game, and the first PlayStation 2 title to do so. It is also the second Yasumi Matsuno title to set a perfect score, the first being Vagrant Story [link].

Square Enix officially confirmed that the game will be available in North America on October 31, 2006. The game will be available in two versions — the standalone game (with an MSRP of $49.99) and a "Collector's Edition" for an additional $10. This edition includes the game packaged in a steel case along with a variety of trailers and featurettes about the Final Fantasy series.[link]

Contents

Gameplay

In battle (English version)

Like previous games of the Final Fantasy series, combat is menu-based. However, unlike the first ten games of the series, it adopts a battle system similar to that of Final Fantasy XI where combat takes place on the same screen as regular exploration (in a Chrono Trigger fashion), with a seamless transition from exploration to combat mode. Combat unfolds in real time, using a new battle system called active dimension battle. There is also not a different musical score during combat; the track that is played during exploration will be heard throughout the battle as well. The traditional fanfare featured in all Final Fantasy titles reappears after dungeon bosses along with a "Congratulations" text. The player may assume control of any of the three characters in the battle party at will and issue commands for the characters at any time. Battle commands include Attack, Magic, Skill, Mist Cart, Gambits, and Item. The game also features a system of chain bonuses. If the party kills a particular type of monster multiple times, it will gain the chance to earn improved (or simply more) items after battle.

Chocobos are traditionally featured in all Final Fantasy Titles. In FFXII, whenever a player rents a Chocobo, he/she has a certain amount of time to make his/her travels through the wilderness. When the time is completely depleted, the Chocobo returns to its stall in the city and the player is left on foot. Chocobos now look more war like and savage than in previous Final Fantasy Titles. While on a Chocobo, enemies ignore the player.

The game also features an extended Clan report, a summarization of the player's progress so far, including detailed descriptions of enemies defeated, A catalogue of Wanted monsters defeated, and other more or less interesting information. The section is reminiscent of the Encyclopedias featured in Vagrant Story.

Combat

Battles are carried out in much the same way as Final Fantasy XI. Battles are initiated in the field screen by engaging visible wandering enemies. There is no transition to a separate battle screen. Party members can move around freely during battle. The battle menu can be accessed at any time, but after commanding a character to perform an action, there is a wait time before the action is actually performed. Unlike Final Fantasy XI, there is a visible "Wait Time Gauge" which indicates wait time. Wait time varies depending on the action. A regular attack takes a couple of seconds, a powerful spell can take several seconds, and item use is instantaneous. Battle flow is as follows:

Party engages enemy
Player brings up the Command Window and selects an action (Attack, Magic, Gambit, Summon etc.)
When the Wait Time Gauge fills up, the character performs the selected action
A chosen command can be cancelled by opening the Command Window and choosing another command before the Wait Time Gauge has filled up completely.

There is a common misconception that this system has eliminated "random battles" from the game. However, there are still random battles in the form of surprise ambush attacks from unseen enemies suddenly springing from tall grass, water, sand etc, when the party is near. Enemies can now detect the party through several means, such as sight, sound, and smell. Some enemies are more hostile towards the party than others, and some can even attack other monsters rather than the party. Sometimes the player may even encounter citizens or monster hunters actively fighting, occasionally presenting the party with minor healing.

A maximum of three party members can fight simultaneously, and they are sometimes accompanied by a special Guest character which temporarily joins the party. Guest characters cannot be designated as the party leader or controlled by the player in any way. When current party members get knocked out, the player is given the chance to reorganize the party in the Menu, substituting active K.O.'d members with other inactive characters. The player is free to switch between characters at any time. The player can also limit their party to two or one characters if they wish. Guest characters cannot be substituted. Given the game mechanics, characters cannot be healed in the menu this time around.

Money is no longer dropped by monsters, much like Final Fantasy VIII. It can be acquired by performing tasks, hunting wanted monsters, or selling acquired treasures, which have no other benefits than to financially profit from (selling these may also unlock rare goods in shops). One notable exception is the item "Telepo Stone", used to instantly transport the party from one place to another, using specific, golden Save Crystals. These, like regular Save Crystals (of blue color), also fully restore the party's HP/MP and Status. MP is also recovered slowly with walking.

Abilities

Vaan's License Board

Learning and using abilities (magic spells, use of equipment, special skills, HP bonuses etc.) is done via the new License system. Each playable character begins with their own License Board, which looks like an oddly shaped chess board. The squares on the board contain various abilities which the character may use. Basically, one character's Board is split into two different parts with no intersection. The upper one contains Magical, Stats-raising and other character-specific abilities, while the bottom one is largely filled with Equipment Licences. Mist Knack abilities are scattered randomly across both Boards. Every single character gets a starting point on each of the two. In order to learn an ability, the character must first spend the required amount of LP (License Points) to permit its use. LP are earned in battle along with the usual experience points. When a square is activated, any empty squares adjacent to it also become available for activation. A square cannot be activated if there are no activated squares adjacent to it. While similar in some ways to Final Fantasy X's Sphere Grid, the License Board allows far more freedom; there are no restrictions on how the player may develop their characters. In practice, the License Board system is simply another in a long line of previous systems where ability points are earned and exchanged for new abilities.

Magic

The magic system is divided into five different schools. White magic includes spells that heal the party's HP, cure status ailments and resurrect dead party members. The holy-elemental attack spell Holy is also part of the white magic school. Black magic includes elemental and non-elemental spells that directly damage one or more enemies. Green magic consists of supportive or debilitating spells that alter party members or enemies' statistics. Time magic includes spells that alter the target's speed, or cause damage over time. The fifth and last school of magic, arcane magic, includes dark-elemental attack spells, as well as spells that cause status ailments, drain, and gravity spells which were previously included in the black magic school. Magic spells are bought from shops as in many previous Final Fantasy titles.

Weapons

The playable characters can equip any kind of weapon after they acquire the corresponding ability on the License Board. Depending on what category a weapon falls into (e.g. swords, two-handed staffs), the game may use a different method to calculate the damage that weapon deals. The amount of damage inflicted by a bo staff, for example, is dependent on the strength of the enemy's magic defense, whereas other weapons may damage the enemy in accordance with the enemy's physical defense. Guns are actually two-handed weapons, requiring the player to equip different purchased ammo types (leaving no opportunity to hold a shield), which ultimately defines the weapon's power. Same applies to bows; the player may acquire stronger and stronger arrow types over time. Ammo is otherwise unlimited.

Gambit System

The Gambit System is a new type of AI which works similar to an easier version of programming language. Using a set of pre-programmed commands, a player is able to set specific reactions to battle for each character. Each Gambit consists of two component variables: a target, and an action. For example, the game initially gives players two commands for use in their Gambit instructions. One reads, "Leader's enemy: Attack" and the other reads "Party member [HP less than 70%]: Cure". The Gambits are listed in order of priority, and changing their order in the list will cause the character to act differently. If the first command is "Leader's enemy: Attack" and the second is "Party member [HP less than 70%]: Cure", the character will attack with the party leader as long as they are engaged in battle. Once the party leader's target has been eliminated or the leader disengages from battle, the second command will come into play. If any party member is below 70% health, the character with the aforementioned Gambit will cast Cure on them. Different battle procedures would follow if the two commands were switched around, as the character will cease their attack and cast Cure on any party member with less than 70% health, and then resume attacking once all party members are at 70% health or more. There will be many different Gambits in the game to facilitate choosing any specific target, friend or foe, and then performing any action on it. Each character has a maximum of twelve available Gambit slots, which must be unlocked one at a time on the License board. Gambits are most often bought in Gambit shops, but they can also be found in chests.

Here is an example of a typical Gambit list used during the game:

Priority	Target	Action
1	Party Member [KO'd]	Cast Life
2	Party Member [HP less than 30%]	Cast Cura
3	Party Member [Darkness]	Use Eye Drops
4	Party Member [Slow]	Cast Esuna
5	Party Member [Poison]	Use Antidote
6	Yourself	Cast Protect
7	Yourself	Cast Haste
8	Yourself [MP less than 10%]	Use Ether
9	Undead Enemy	Use Phoenix Down
10	Flying Enemy	Cast Gravity
11	Enemy [Weak vs. Fire]	Cast Fira
12	Leader's Enemy	Attack

This Gambit setting makes keeping all party members alive and in good fighting condition the highest priority; reviving fallen characters, keeping the party's HP at a safe level, and removing status ailments. The next priority is the character supporting themself with Protect and Haste spells and MP replenishment. The final priority is attacking enemies. Giving undead and flying enemies special priority over all others ensures that the character will always treat them differently than "normal" enemies. If this character encounters a flying enemy which is also undead, they will treat them as undead, as the Undead Enemy Gambit is given a higher priority than the Flying Enemy Gambit. By giving attacking enemies the lowest priority, this character will cease attacking in the midst of battle the instant any other parameter arises and they will not resume attacking until that parameter has been rectified. Note that there is no specific qualifier following "Yourself" in the Protect and Haste Gambits. Therefore this character will cast Protect and Haste on themself the instant their Protect and Haste status wears off.

Mist Cart

The Mist Cart command is short for "Mist Cartridge". In a nod to Final Fantasy IX, a mysterious phenomenon known as "Mist" exists in the story, and it is the key to two special abilities in the game: Summon magic and "Mist Knacks".

Summon Magic

Esper; Ultima

Summoning magic appears once more with creatures known as Espers (as in Final Fantasy VI.) In order to acquire an Esper, the creature must first be defeated in battle. Afterward, one character must sign a pact with the Esper, and that character will be the only one who may summon it. Similar to Final Fantasy X, summon spells become active participants in battle; unlike Final Fantasy X, the summoner remains an active member in the fight, instead of leaving the party or standing idle while the summon fights alone. While the Esper is present, the Summon command in the menu becomes the Dismiss command, which the player can use to send the Esper away at any time. The Esper will remain in the party for a limited time, indicated by a row of spheres that gradually disappear over the course of a minute or two. If the Esper survives until the time limit reaches zero and is not dismissed by the player, it will perform a very powerful special attack before leaving the party. The player can use curative magic and items to aid the Esper. Espers are controlled by A.I. and cannot be controlled by the player.

Espers

See List of Final Fantasy XII espers for more detailed information.

Name Title Zodiac Sign Element LP Level
Adrammelech Furious Emperor Capricorn Thunder 25 1
Belias Devil Aries Fire 10 1
Chaos King of Reincarnation Taurus Wind 90 3
Exdeath Tree of Judgement Libra Magic 50 2
Famfrit Dark Cloud Aquarius Water 90 3
Hashmalim Regulator Leo Earth 50 2
Mateus Corrupt Empress Pisces Ice 25 1
Queklain Impure King Scorpio Poison 50 2
Shumihaza Betrayer Sagittarius Soul 50 2
Ultima Holy Angel Virgo Light 90 3
Zalera Angel of Death Gemini Death 25 1
Zeromus Convicted Tyrant Cancer Gravity 50 2
Zodiac King of Commandment Serpentarius Dark 200 3

Name	Title	Zodiac Sign	Element	LP	Level
Adrammelech	Furious Emperor	Capricorn	Thunder	25	1
Belias	Devil	Aries	Fire	10	1
Chaos	King of Reincarnation	Taurus	Wind	90	3
Exdeath	Tree of Judgement	Libra	Magic	50	2
Famfrit	Dark Cloud	Aquarius	Water	90	3
Hashmalim	Regulator	Leo	Earth	50	2
Mateus	Corrupt Empress	Pisces	Ice	25	1
Queklain	Impure King	Scorpio	Poison	50	2
Shumihaza	Betrayer	Sagittarius	Soul	50	2
Ultima	Holy Angel	Virgo	Light	90	3
Zalera	Angel of Death	Gemini	Death	25	1
Zeromus	Convicted Tyrant	Cancer	Gravity	50	2
Zodiac	King of Commandment	Serpentarius	Dark	200	3

While these have practically replaced all of the traditional Final Fantasy summons, it may be noted that many of these Espers have origins in the two installments of the Final Fantasy Tactics series, as either Zodiac Braves (in Final Fantasy Tactics) or Totema (in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance). Final Fantasy XII does however feature several airships bearing familiar names, including Alexander, Shiva, Ifrit, Carbuncle, Valefor, Leviathan, Catoblepas, Remora, and Atomos. It is also noted that 3 of the new Espers are the final bosses for I, IV, and V, Chaos, Zeromus, and Exdeath, respectively.

Mist Knacks

One of Vaan's Mist Knack attacks

Like the last several installments in the series, Final Fantasy XII introduces a new Limit Break system: Mist Knacks. Some of the Mist Knacks are:

Vaan: レッドスパイラル (Reddosupairaru, Red Spiral)
Ashe: 北斗骨砕斬 (Hokuto Kotsusaizan, Bone Shattering Slash of the North Star)
Balthier: 略奪のコンパス (Ryakudatsu no Konpasu, Compass of Thievery)
Fran: 乱命割殺掌 (Ranmeihassasshō, Chaotic Splitting Deadly Palm)
Basch: 闇と暗黒の衝撃 (Yami to Ankōku no Shōgeki, Impact of Absolute Darkness)
Penelo: 生殺与奪 (Seisatsu Yodatsu, Power Over Life & Death)

Characters learn Mist Knacks by progressing to specific squares on the License Board, usually at the edges or corners. Upon activation, the corresponding square will disappear from the License Boards of all five of the other characters. Each character can learn a total of three Mist Knacks. When a character learns their initial level 1 Mist Knack, it requires a full 100% MP bar to use it. Upon learning their level 2 Mist Knack, the character's MP bar is divided into two sections, and it requires only 50% of the bar to use the level 1 Mist Knack, and a full bar to use the level 2. When level 3 three is learned, the MP bar is divided into three. Now level 1 will require one third of the bar, level 2 requires two thirds, and the level 3 Mist Knack requires the full bar. The name Mist Knack and all other names given for the Limit Breaks apply only to the Japanese version of the game; it may be renamed in the English version.

Each character can also string together their Mist Knacks into one combo, dealing in heavy damage. However, the more combos they pull off, the faster the timer will decrease which makes it difficult to perform more combo attacks. Also, you must need 7 or more hits to make a finishing move visible.

Story

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.

See also: List of Final Fantasy XII characters

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Final Fantasy XII takes place mostly in the kingdom of Dalmasca, a small city-state in the world of Ivalice. A neutral party in the past wars between its neighboring kingdoms of Archadia and Rosaria, Dalmasca was ultimately conquered by Archadia and reduced to the status of an occupied state under Archadian rule. Vaan, a street urchin living in the Dalmascan capital of Rabanastre, joins the underground Dalmascan resistance movement and participates in an assault on the royal castle, now occupied by Archadian troops. His involvement in the attack eventually brings him face to face with Ashe, the deposed princess of Dalmasca and the leader of the resistance faction.

Other major characters include Balthier, a sky pirate struggling to remain neutral in the conflict between Archadia and Dalmasca; his companion Fran, a Viera warrior; Penelo, an item shopkeeper in Rabanastre and Vaan's best friend; Basch, a former general of Dalmasca turned traitor during the conflict between Archadia and Rosaria; Reks, Vaan's older brother and formerly a soldier of the Dalmascan army under Basch's command; Larsa Solidor (known as Ramon when traveling incognito among the common folk), a young prince who has a mysterious connection with Nethicite, a rare counterpart of Magicite (the substance from which all magical energy is derived); and Vayne Solidor, the royal heir of Archadia, consul of Dalmasca, the Judges' commanding lord, and Larsa's elder brother.

Archadian Judge Masters, leaders of the Judges who first appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, are featured prominently in the story. They are the supreme enforcers of Archadian law, and number five total: Gabranth, Ghis, Drace, Zargabaath, and Bergan.

Races

All the races featured in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (Bangaa, Viera, Moogle, Hume and Nu Mou) appear in Final Fantasy XII. They are joined by three new races, the pig-like Seeq, the Garif and the Ultan-Yensa.

Hume: the majority population in Ivalice. The individuals of this race vary in intelligence, culture and appearance. There are other anthropoid races in Ivaliace, but the ones that are more intelligent prefer not to show themselves to Humes. Less intelligent Humes are considered laborers and slaves.

Viera: tall, slender creatures with long ears and long hair who lost their homeland to war 450 years ago. They live among the Humes since then. The most beautiful of all the races in Ivalice, they live up to three times the average lifespan of a Hume. They have excellent eyesight and can see as far as 10 km. Their long ears also give them superb hearing abilities and can sense difference in footsteps. There are two types of Viera. Rava Viera have brown skin and Veena Viera have white skin.

Bangaa: this race with their long-droppy ears evolved from reptiles. They have similar intelligence and lifestyles as Humes, enabling the two to co-exist fairly comfortably. Calling them "Lizard Man" or "Lizard People" is considered very offensive. Lizardmen are related to the Bangaa but are less-intelligent and generally become thugs. Though they are only able to use lower level magic, the hard scales covering their body gives them the best defense of all the races in Ivalice. They also control a Bangaa-specific magic spells. Bangaas have a slow reproductive cycle but can live up to twice as the average Hume lifespan.

There are four different kinds of Bangaa. Banga-Faas have dark bronze skin and are very athletic. Faas may mean "soldier" in the Bangaa language. Bangaa-Ruga have yellowish brown skin, shorter ears, gentler than the other Bangaa types, and are monks and instructors. The Faas and Rugas are the law-makers of the Bangaa society. Bangaa-Bista have copper skin. Bangaa-Sanga have dark grey skin. The Bista and Sanga have a more laid-back lifestyle.

Moogles: cute, fluffy bear-like creatures with bat-wings and a pom-pom sprouting from an antenna at the top of their heads. They stand at about 2-3 feet. Not to underestimate their cuddly appearance, the moogles are the most intelligent and nimble of the all the races in Ivalice. They were known for their talent in engineering and invention. They have even mastered the Ultimate Technology known as Etoria. The moogles were first airship builders. Moogle-technology was used in the wars between the races of Ivalice in history. The moogles have their own capital at the center of the city tailored for smaller moogles. Not all moogles become engineers. Some become knights and mages.

Seeq: evolved from pigs, the Seeq have low intelligence but are very fast, making them excellent fighters, as well as mercenaries and guards. They have excellent offense and defense qualities. Barbarous and immoral, most become thieves. The Seeq loves gold and other jewelry which they use to decorate their bodies.

Nu Mou: stout, dog-like creatures with long floppy ears, the Nu Mou play a minor role in Final Fantasy XII.

Garif: a bird-like warrior race living south of Giza Plains who have connections to the legends of the Nethicite.

Ultan-Yensa: a violent race that dwells in the Sand Sea. Dressed in clothes similar to that of desert-faring people, they called themselves the Kings of the Sand Sea. Their appearance comes across as shrivelled feline faces. Proud and arrogant, the Ultan-Yensa detests outsiders.

Credits

Voice cast

English version (tentative)

Bobby Edner ... as Vaan [link]
Kari Wahlgren ... as Ashe Banalgan Dalmasca [link]
Gideon Emery ... as Balthier [link]
Steven Jay Blum ... as Ba'Gamnan [link]

Japanese version

Kouhei Takeda ... as Vaan
Mie Sonozaki ... as Ashe Banalgan Dalmasca
Hiroaki Hirata ... as Balflear
Rikiya Koyama ... as Basch von Rosenberg
Rika Fukami ... as Fran
Yuna Mikuni ... as Penelo
Nobuo Tobita ... as Vayne Cardas Solidor
Yuka Imai ... as Larsa Ferrinas Solidor
Akio Otsuka ... as Judge Gabranth
Masaki Terasoma ... as Vossler Azulas
Hidekatsu Shibata ... as Emperor Gramis Solidor
Chikao Ohtsuka ... as Cid Bunanza
Ryunosuke Ohbayashi ... as Judge Ghis
Yousuke Akimoto ... as Judge Bergan
Yoko Soumi ... as Judge Drace
Ryuzaburo Ohtomo ... as Judge Zargabaath
Hideki Tasaka ... as Reks
Yasuyuki Kase ... as Prince Rasler Heios Nabradia
Takayuki Sugo ... as Reddas
Shiro Saito ... as Migelo
Norio Wakamoto ... as Alshid Malgaras
Akio Nojima ... as Marquis Harum Ondore IV
Kōji Ishii ... as Ba'Gamnan

Only 4 English language voice actors have been announced as of July 18, 2006. Square Enix is currently working on localizing the game for the U.S. Noted translator Alexander O. Smith has been confirmed to be involved with the English North American localization of the script. Smith had also previously worked on the localization for Vagrant Story.

The first English language trailer was shown at E3 in May of 2006. Most of the main characters were shown with their English voices, though only those English cast members listed above have been officially announced.

Crew

Executive Producer: Akitoshi Kawazu
Original Concept/Scenario/Plot/Supervisor: Yasumi Matsuno
Scenario: Miwa Shoda, Daisuke Watanabe
Directors: Hiroyuki Ito, Hiroshi Minagawa
Chief Programmer: Takashi Katano
Art Direction: Hideo Minaba, Isamu Kamikokuryou
Character Design: Akihiko Yoshida
Battle Design: Kazutoyo Maehiro
Event Direction: Jun Akiyama
Movie Director: Eiji Fujii
Supervisor: Taku Murata
Composer: Hitoshi Sakimoto & Nobuo Uematsu
Theme Song Composer + Producer : Nobuo Uematsu
Theme Song Vocalist: Angela Aki

Music

The front cover of the limited edition of the soundtrack

The vast majority of the game's soundtrack was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. English and Japanese vocals for "Kiss Me Good-Bye" were by Angela Aki. The soundtrack was released on the 31st of May, 2006 in Japan with a price of ¥3,990 bearing the catalog number, SVWC-7351~4. The CD consists of 4 CDs with 100 tracks. The soundtrack also includes some tracks which are not included in the game, only used in promotions. The soundtrack is stored in DVD-style packaging, complete with printed images on each disk. The box also includes a 28-page booklet.

The CD single for Aki's single for the game, "Kiss Me Good-Bye", was released on the 15th of March, 2006 with a price of ¥1,223 bearing the catalog number ESCL-2810. A limited edition was also released with a price of ¥1,500 bearing the catalog number ESCL-2808 and featuring a DVD containing the "Kiss Me Good-Bye" music video.

Merchandise

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan have released a special Final Fantasy XII package, which includes the following:

PlayStation 2 game system, model: SCPH-75000 FF
Final Fantasy XII game
Standard DualShock controller
Vertical console stand

The special edition package was released alongside the game on March 16, 2006.

Renowned Japanese third-party manufacturer Hori also released Final Fantasy XII memory cards on the same day as the game's release. The memory card is a standard 8MB card, coloured white and will have its own case priced ¥ 3,660. Stickers of various Final Fantasy XII characters are included.

Suntory Limited have also been commercializing "Final Fantasy Potion" — a drink containing such ingredients as royal jelly, chamomile, sage, thyme, and marjoram. The drink has a unique taste; it is very sweet, but at the same time possesses a bitter herbal aftertaste.

The drinks became commercially available on March 7, 2006 in Japan and come in 120ml bottles with a retail price of ¥ 191. Suntory also released a Final Fantasy XII Premium Box priced at ¥ 600, each containing a 100ml bottle with a decorative cork and 3 Final Fantasy XII collectors cards. There are a total of six corks and twenty-seven cards to collect. Click [here] to view the TV-ad of the drink.

Game peripheral maker Logicool (the Japanese version of Logitech) has also released a special edition Final Fantasy XII controller alongside the title on March 16th. This white cordless controller comes stamped with the Final Fantasy XII logo and includes a convenient LCD cleaner.

Book publishers Studio BentStuff will also be releasing two ULTIMANIA books — Final Fantasy XII Battle Ultimania and the Final Fantasy XII Scenario Ultimania on June 16, 2006. The Battle Ultimania provides a complete analysis of the new battle system, explanations of all the licenses attainable, every item, every monster and a hand catalogue with all conditions. The Scenario Ultimania on the other hand provides a walkthrough chart of the main scenarios in the game, profiles on all of the characters and areas of the world, along with walkthroughs of all the sub-events and a full map marked with all hidden items. As a bonus, both the books also include separate interviews with the developers of the game.

Special Final Fantasy XII Pack for Japan

The Final Fantasy XII "Potion" drink.

The Final Fantasy XII Logicool PS2 Controller.

The Final Fantasy XII Scenario Ultimania

The Final Fantasy XII Battle Ultimania

Collector's Edition

Square Enix has stated that Final Fantasy XII will be available both as a stand-alone game and also as part of a collector's edition package [link]. Features of the Collector's Edition DVD include:

Promotional trailers (both in English and Japanese)
Art gallery
Director commentary
FMV sequences from a number of past Final Fantasy games

Sales information

According to Media Create, Final Fantasy XII sold 1,764,266 copies on its first week in Japan, [link], breaking the 2,000,000 copies on the following week [link]. The total number of copies sold stands at 2,150,671 after 5 weeks of release [link]. A Square-Enix conference report stated that Final Fantasy XII has sold more than 2.38 million copies in Japan as of March 31. [link]

Trivia

All of the summoned creatures in Final Fantasy XII are named after boss enemies or other entities from other Final Fantasy games, most notably Final Fantasy Tactics and its spinoff Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Queklain, Belias, Zalera, Adrammelech, Hashmalim, and Ultima are all names of various Lucavi demons in Final Fantasy Tactics, though some of their names vary slightly from those of the Final Fantasy XII espers due to errors in translation (i.e. Ultima's name is spelled in FFT as "Altima"). Zodiac also made an appearance in the game as a summoned creature. Similarly, Famfrit, Exodus, Adrammelech, Ultima, and Mateus all appear in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance as Totema, guardians of the Five Crystals of Ivalice. Chaos, Zeromus, and Exodus are all named after the final bosses of Final Fantasy I, IV, and V, respectively.

Final Fantasy XII contains a battle featuring Gilgamesh, an entity (typically a summoned creature or other similar being) seen previously in many other games in the series. The battle is set to his musical theme "Clash on the Big Bridge" from Final Fantasy V and he wields a variety of weapons from previous Final Fantasy titles, including Cloud Strife's buster sword from FFVII, Squall Leonheart's Revolver gunblade from FFVIII, Zidane Tribal's dagger from FFIX, and Tidus's Brotherhood sword from FFX. As a special surprise for fans, Gilgamesh's final sword is the iconic Sword of Loto (also known as the Sword of Kings or Erdrick's Sword) from the first Dragon Warrior trilogy.

The tradition of assigning a certain Esper to a specific zodiac sign in Final Fantasy XII originated in Final Fantasy Tactics; where each Zodiac Braves are assigned to each Zodiac stones.

Although there are thirteen titles in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XII is only the twelfth single-player game in the saga, as Final Fantasy XI was an MMORPG.

External links

Final Fantasy XII
'List of Final Fantasy XII'' characters Vaan - Ashe - Balthier - Basch - Fran - Penelo Vayne Solidor - Larsa Solidor - Archadian Judges Ivalice - Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy XII - Kiss Me Good-Bye - Soundtrack

Final Fantasy series

Main series:	I — II — III — IV — V — VI — VII — VIII — IX — X — XI — XII — ''XIII
Compilations and collections:	I-II — Collection — Anthology — Chronicles — Origins — *' — Compilation of VII* —** '
Direct sequels:	' — ' — ' — ' — X-2 — Agito XIII — Versus XIII — Final Fantasy XI II (tentative name)
Spinoffs:	Crystal Chronicles — ' — ' — Mystic Quest — Tactics — Tactics Advance
Related series:	– Kingdom Hearts series
Film and television:	' — ' — ' — ' —
More info:	Creatures — Characters — Designers — Items — — Magic — — Music — Races — [List of Final Fantasy weapons\|Weapons]

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