"Not the best RTS, but still very satisfying"

As I had been waiting for a worthy DS RPG to come out, I must admit I wasn't too fond to find out FFXII Revenant Wings was going to be an RTS. I was hoping for a more traditional quest, something that would hopefully be better than Children of Mana, or even FFIII. I like RTS, but it was unlikely Revenant Wings was going to be the DS's Warcraft. Compared to what it has to offer though, like Heroes of Mana, and in many regards, FFXII Revenant Wings turns out to be one great game that might just be what I was looking for, in the end...

The story picks up one year after the PS2 version, with the same cast of characters. I hadn't played FFXII prior to Revenant Wings, but the story is easy to pick up and the characters are likeable. I can't say how it holds up to the PS2 version, but to me the DS one was enjoyable regardless. Some may dislike the light-hearted tone, but as the game unfolds, the storyline gets more serious and touching. What really drives it are the witty dialogues and the way everything holds together. For instance, there are many optional conversations your characters can have together and logbook entries you can read. All that makes the connections between the various characters deeper and help you feel closer to them.

Graphically, FFXII Revenant Wings looks beautiful. Fans of high polygon counts will be disappointed; the beauty in Revenant Wings is subtle. At first glance, the game appears more 2D than 3D, but the overtop view maps look gorgeous if you stop to actually scrutinize them. The islands are rich and lush with details. The 3D might not be of the highest quality, but it was crafted with attention to detail. FFXII's world looks sublime and is any fantasy fan's dream, with pools of water in the sky, waterfalls flowing off islands, forests of crystal trees and anything out of your imagination. Some later areas look a bit bland, but most of the game looks stunning with its soft colors.

The 2D character sprites look very good and appropriate on the battlefield, but somehow look most ugly on the world map and during in-game cutscenes, where you could almost mistake them for Gameboy Color sprites. The FMVs are obviously the most appealing aspect and are quite numerous. Musically, Revenant Wings is wondrous as well. The score adds a lot of enchantment to the game's style and helps create an atmosphere proper to the quest. A lot of the tunes are overheard, but it's good enough that it doesn't bother in the least.

Revenant Wings is not your traditional Final Fantasy, let alone anything close to the PS2 version. It's not like Final Fantasy Tactics either; instead it's a real-time strategy that resembles Warcraft's gameplay. You get a map to work on, and a crew of six characters. Aside from these six characters, you can summon six different types of Espers (basically, monsters) to help you on the battlefield. The enemy has the same set rules. You'll have to work with what you have and must defeat all the enemy leaders on the map to win (the enemy will win if all your leaders are defeated). Different rules sometimes apply but that's the most common mission in the game. Each character has different spells and powers. For exemple, Vaan is effective with sword attacks, Penelo healing and Kytes with magic spells. Espers also have spells and attributes. If the battlefield mainly consists of fire enemies, you might want to take water Espers with you. Knowing which Espers are the best in some circumstances is the key to winning.

There is a lot more to the gameplay which is surprisingly very deep, and side stuff like the weapon forging for which you need to collect books and materials, but the main quest itself is a bit thin. Usually you'll go from a place to the other on the world map, read a lot of text from cutscenes, but that's all there is, aside from side missions to help you level-up. The side quests aren't really anything worthy and the game does get a bit dull after a while, but it's sort of fun.

Put on paper, the battle system sounds good, but unfortunately, in action it's a different thing. Everything works out to be pretty cumbersome as a whole. Characters do automatically attack close foes, but they have no mind of their own, something that makes RTS hard to play. Simply attacking won't fetch you victory. It's essential that you use your character's special moves. The problem is that the characters won't use them on their own. If a character falls in battle, an ally with a reviving spell won't revive it unless you order it to. In the melee of a battle, it's very hard to keep track of everything happening and take action on it. The commands are quick and accessible, but it's still a hassle. Sometimes, the characters don't even respond to your commands. The AI is just frustrating and kills some of the enjoyment. Each character has gambit (assigned action) that he will use automatically, but only one, so it doesn't make much sense.

All in all, there is something fun and addictive about Revenant Wings. It's not the best RTS, but it is one of the best overall experience on DS. The game is meticulously well-made, with weapon crafting, ship decoration, a lot of character interaction and side missions, all for a lengthy quest that is a pleasure to play. With all that going for it, it's a real shame that the RTS mechanisms are so clumsy and that the AI works against you. Had there been as much attention given to the way the game plays as there was to everything surrounding it, Revenant Wings could have attained a lot more. It's still a great addition to the DS library though.

Breakdown

Presentation The game is absolutely stunning in appearance. FMVs, a beautiful world map, many characters and depth, easy menus; just not the best storyline. 9/10
Gameplay The controls work well and everything is crafted right to make it a great RTS, but the AI is appalling. Good in theory but not in execution. 7/10
Graphics Subtle touch of beauty if you know how to appreciate it. The soft color palette adds charm to otherwise weak mix of 2D and 3D. The character models are disappointing. Great overall look, artistically still. 8/10
Music Great musical scores unfortunately overheard. 8/10
Replay Value A lengthy quest (~30hours) with many, many missions, and even more side missions. Not really anything you'd want to replay, though. There are extras to find but not really anything compelling. 7/10

Overall 7.5/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/11/08, Updated 03/17/08

Game Release: Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (US, 11/20/07)