Tactics was a good game and despite the fact that the recent games in the Final Fantasy franchise seemed to be a letdown (IMHO), I thought I'd give FFXII: Revenant Wings a try.
First Impression:
I saw the screenshots and thought "Uh oh, Squeenix has gone and made a Tactics clone" but thank goodness I was sorely mistaken.
The minute you turn on the DS, you're greeted with a crisp, clean well orchestrated FMV which shows off the DS' graphical capabilities rather well. They didn't skimp on the background music either, it seems. The game itself has moments when you tend to forget that you're actually playing a hand-held console game. The backgrounds are well rendered and the sprite movement is smooth. You won't be disappointed at all.
Gameplay:
From the very start, you're already immersed into a dungeon and combat is the order of the day. The battle system is easy to get used to and doesn't leave you in moments of "OhgodnoI'munderleveledandI'mgonnadie". With Revenant Wings, it's a combination of both levelling and brains. A small tip: As long as you wipe out all enemies you see on the field, you'll be fiiiiiiiine~
Controls are easy enough and are manageable in a pinch. If you have to give split second commands, nothing bars your way and there's no moment of risking your unit's lives because you were busy fiddling with the commands.
I do have one teeny little comment though. Unit movement is so slow, that if you're moving your entire group from one side of the map to the other, you might have to wait a while. This proved to be a hindrance in a much later mission which severely chafed my ass.
Battles are fast paced and are over before you know it. AI for both enemy and friendly units is rather good, your units are responsive and ranged units and healers stay a good distance away from the fray.
Story:
The plot itself is interesting on it's own. For one who has yet to play FFXII, I found myself a bit confused over certain things but nothing that will leave you scratching your head for the duration of the game. A few mentions here and there but Revenant Wings seems to be a completely different kettle of fish from its predecessor.
Last words:
It seems that Square has managed to redeem itself. Revenant Wings wasn't a major flop but then it was engaging enough to keep a fan of the series interested. Unfortunately, some newcomers might be put off by the inability of the game to give us at least a little idea of what some of the hints were. Never the less, it was interesting enough.
Rating:
Graphics: 4.5/5
The characters are easy to figure out on the field even in the midst of battle. Backgrounds are well rendered and show a good level of detail.
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Controls are easy to learn even if you're not a fan of the SRPG genre. My only complaint would be the fact that units move rather slow and in the case of a mission where you have to hurry and sneaking around is choice, this can be quite a hindrance. It follows a bit of a pattern though, with the "build army, rush enemy" thing.
Soundtrack: 5/5
Impressive. As always, Square-Enix gives us an excellent score which is quite fitting for the situations at hand.
The Look and Feel: 4/5
Controls aren't clumsy and the interface is easy to navigate through.
Overall Rating: 8/10
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