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The new Active Dimension Battle system, or ADB for short, is a welcome change, but another addition by the License Grid also comes into play. A half-split checkerboard akin to the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X, this is the very foundation of everything regarding passive character growth as well as equipment usage. Before a character can even use an item, they must buy the appropriate license. This means that, even if you own said random sword that would be to your benefice to use, until you've acquired the necessary license points from fallen monsters and purchase the required license, equipping the blade will be impossible. Besides, it would go against the law, and no one wants Judge Gabraanth on their case.
 Don't think that's change enough? Well, how about killing off all of your precious summons? Though the games aren't linked at all, (and again XI does not count), the after events of Final Fantasy X sent a subliminal message to gamers everywhere that former Squaresoft just killed off all your favorite elementals. They still live in on in the names of airships (i.e. The Alexander, The Shiva, The Ifrit, etc), which is, again, another nostalgic moment for anyone whose played any of the previous games. Much like in Final Fantasy Tactics, the Zodiac Summons return to offer some incredibly polished and detailed animations for each of the over dozen behemoths. And to add even more to that nostalgic flavor, they're mostly reincarnations from the first six Final Fantasy games. Also, summoning one of the Zodiacs benches two of your active party members, only keeping the summoner and his summon to fight. Each Zodiac has a finisher that automatically responds once their timer reaches zero and they are all incredibly flashy and over the top.
Buffing characters in the over levels, visiting the shops for the most updated materials, as well as switching your Gambits around depending on the situations faced is not only solid advice but a direct requirement. It pushes the player to wake up and actually try thinking on his own for once, which once accomplished, leads to a great amount of satisfaction. It is incredibly rewarding after 20 or 30 hours of playtime, having a party that once was too weak to trudge through a jungle to not even be grazed by the hardest of hits from the same foes who gave them trouble. So growth is a hefty part of Final Fantasy XII and a really welcome change in pacing that should be in more games.
If you're ever so determined, the average player can blitz through Final Fantasy XII in less than 50 hours. However, doing so means ignoring the huge amount of side quests and optional summons that lay hidden deep within regions of the game you likely haven't even explored yet (and they are seriously worth the find). Actually if you solely focus on the game's main story campaign will keep you from even touching several very large optional areas tucked in the northern regions of Ivalice. So, even when you think that you may have done it all, you seriously haven't.
But here is another surprise: I hate Final Fantasy games. Like, to death. So for someone as held such a hard grudge against a series to praise their latest game so highly, is a shining example of how you can turn even the most adamant of haters into obedient little moogles. Love it or hate it, it's one of those ultra-rewarding titles that demonstrates great direction and the utmost care. With music and a script written by two industry greats, and a revolutionary battle system (that more developers should take note of), Final Fantasy XII is a must-have title for the PlayStation 2, even for those skeptical of RPGs.
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