FFXII Early Impressions.

The husband was gone last weekend, so I played a crapload of Final Fantasy XII. It has the familiar trappings of the whole FF series (moogles, crystals, a blue command menu). But the new battle system, visible enemies and full 3D environment gives it a different flavor. The combat system in particular is crazy fast and a bit unpredictable. I'm really enjoying it though - the gameplay is compelling and rewarding.

In the early game, I saw many more Game Over screens than I'm used to. I had to do a bit of level grinding, and more carefully program my characters for automatic combat.

The story and localization are quite a bit more sophisticated and accessible than the traditional 'Save the crystals; Save the world' story. This tale of resistance and empire is also perfectly localized; with it's own believable period voice.

In other gaming news, I've picked up The World Ends With You. Penny Arcade's Tycho gave it a strong recommendation. I've actually been to Shibuya, and other Tokyo districts; so I may find some pleasant memories. Next week I'll pick up FFTA 2. (I'll earn bonuses by showing it my old FFTA game cart, so it's a good thing I've kept that.) I've always enjoyed the Final Fantasy Tactics titles.

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