Encores, etc.
Returning from the previous game are espers, gambits , and quickenings. Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings has done away with the license board concept, presumably fearing that it would be too complicated for younger audiences, and replaced it with the Ring of Pacts, which can be used to form (what else?) pacts with over 50 different espers. Stones known as auracite, which are often obtained after completion of a mission, will be required to form these pacts.
In another departure from the last game, you won’t be able to summon espers anytime you like. You will start most missions with a certain number of them (more on that later), but if you want or need more, you will have to “capture” summon gates and then conjure them from there. Espers play a much bigger role in this game than they did before.
Gambits have been simplified this time around, but they work in much the same way as they did before: you set up gambits for each of the main characters, which causes them to perform certain actions in battle, when the need arises (reviving a deceased character automatically, for example). Surprisingly absent in this title are items (like potions and ethers); all healing or restorative actions are performed using spells. This does help to streamline battle, but it feels odd not having phoenix downs in a Final Fantasy game.
Quickenings work in pretty much the same way as before, though they are obtained through the completion of missions, rather than through use of a license board. Each character only has one quickening, which is assigned by the game, so there isn’t really an option to customize your characters’ abilities. Luckily, most quickenings are well suited to the characters that use them.
A feature that is new to this game is the ability to have weapons crafted. In most levels you will find crystals, bones or ore that can be gathered by your party, which can later be used to make powerful weapons. These weapons are, more often than not, more powerful than any that you can buy. When having your new sword, bow, etc. crafted, you will be asked three questions by the weapon smith; the answers that you give for these questions will affect the capabilities of the weapon. As an added (though sort of unnecessary) touch, you are given the option to name your new armament.
Not Your Typical Fantasy
A lot of people are calling this game an RTS, though I find that it doesn’t really behave like one. I think it would be more accurately described as an Action RPG with the structure of an RTS, because it honestly doesn’t require an abundance of strategy in most cases. There are a few missions where you are asked to defend your base (called a soul crystal) while conquering that of the enemy, but the enemy AI is pretty terrible so you don’t really even need to leave someone to guard your crystal.
The game is divided up into 10 chapters, each involving roughly 4-5 missions. This makes play extremely portable, since the missions are designed to be relatively short (around 10-15 minutes, on average). Completing only those missions will speed you to the end of the game, but there are tons of side quests for those who want to level up and/or get a 100% completion rating. In tackling these side quests, you can also unlock special character abilities and find items that would have otherwise been unattainable.
The battle system is reminiscent of that in Final Fantasy XII, with the party advancing through a generally somewhat linear map and taking out enemies along the way, en route to completing a specific mission. Your party will consist of up to five of the main characters, as well as support troops that come in the form of espers. Most battles will begin with each character having two espers at their command, but more can often be obtained via summon gates, as mentioned above. The party can be controlled as one large unit or it can be split into squads for more strategic gameplay. I found that it is possible to just push through as one large unit, which allows most missions to be completed without much of a challenge—a downfall, to be certain.
Perhaps the biggest downfall of this game is the static camera angle. Due to the fact that the camera always remains in the same position, there are times when enemies will be hidden from view, effectively preventing you from sending troops after them. In the same vein, it is not uncommon for all parties (both ally and foe) to be clustered together in such a way as to hide characters from view. This makes it especially hard to, say, attack the enemy who is decimating your characters, or to heal the one character that must stay alive for the mission to be successful. It may seem like a small gripe, but it really does become frustrating when you have spent 15 minutes fending off enemies, only to find that you have one character left alive and you can’t even find the guy you need to finish off.