Game Review – Final Fantasy XII – Revenant Wings

Final Fantasy fans who have played any of the Final Fantasy Tactics games will be familiar with the play style of Revenant Wings. This game very heavily utilizes the touch screen aspect of the DS, and you will be doing a lot of point and clicking. This game is fun, without the need to get really immersed like with some of the Final Fantasy series games. You can easily play this 20 minutes a day, or play all night (until you pass the next mission of course), and still be able to continue where you left off, as game progression is very linear.

Movement and Play Control

In Revenant Wings you can control groups of units, or individual characters. The fast paced nature of the fights, due to combat being real-time, in addition to the small playing area, make it hard to issue commands with individual unit granularity. You can quickly tag all the groups by dragging your stylus across the tab at the top of the touch screen, or select and individual group by clicking just the specific hero. But trying to control one specific unit gets too hard once they clump up together. Luckly most battles are simply won by selecting the right combination of espers at the start and then swarming your enemies like the Zerg (for those that have played Starcraft). Simple and effective, and gets you through the whole game.

Game Progression

There are main missions and a few side quest type missions. The game is very linear, and the side quests are usually just for some exp and a chance to get some more ingredients for making equipment. The treasures and enemies are scattered randomly throughout a particular mission, and you select and send your characters towards them. Some enemies stand still, while others patrol or chase you.

One thing that I found annoying was that at one point all the enemies on the map will rush you, and if you haven’t already collected all the loot, you will lose it, because once the enemies are dead, the mission is automatically over. It’s never clear what triggers the rush, if it’s proximity to a treasure or the act of killing a particular enemy, but there is no way around it. You will have to run away from the last group and hope to mine/collect the treasure before you beat them off or die. At easy way to fix that would have been to let you wonder the level after the battle.

Fun Factor

This game is not the most fun Final Fantasy game I have played, but it’s not boring either. What it really has going for it is the simple concepts, and the fact that you can select your groups, send them to the spot you want them at, and focus on something for 30 seconds (such as your girlfriend or wife ), making it seem like you are not just glued to the screen. The characters and equipment are not as customizable in Revenant Wings as they were in some of the previous Final Fantasies. Lack of customization could also be a perk to younger players, or players who have little previous RGP experience. Younger players should be able to follow the simple story line and quests easily.

Replay value

This is not a game with much replay value. Once you finish it, because of the lack of customizable aspects, the second game would play EXACTLY like the first. Even minor variations are pretty much impossible, because you always have the same hero characters, you always have the same gear, and you always have the same espers to control.

Difficulty

This game is very easy to learn, and play. Give up trying to control individual characters, and just swarm the enemy with your large groups, summoning new espers as the ones under your command die. Younger players should be able to play this game pretty easily, as long as they can read.

Graphics

The graphics and sinematics look pretty good on the Nintendo DS LCD screens. They are pretty typical for Final Fantasy series games. Some of the edges seem a little pixelated at times, but for a small LCD, the movies look very good. The characters and summoned units have lots of character and color, and the game is cute overall.

Biggest Pro

This game is easy to play, and does not demand your complete attention. The graphics are descent, and it is another Final Fantasy installment, which on its own buys it instant street credit.

Biggest Con

The in-ability to get all the resources on a particular map are a little annoying, if not really game changing. The game is a little too simple for older or more experienced players, and will really just be played because it’s a Final Fantasy title. The fact that it’s the same tired musical score after you win a battle is a little sad. It may be time for a change.

To Buy or Not To Buy

If you are a SquareSoft fan and have played many of their previous titles, like yours trully, then you will want to get this game just to say you fnished it. If you could borrow it from a friend for a week, that might be better though. Since there are only two save slots, you will have a hard time sharing this game with siblings or friends, as one small mistake can wipe out your game.

If you have played Final Fantasy XII – Revenant Wings already or are planning to buy it, please leave your questions, comments, and opinions for the benefit of others. All questions will be responded to if possible.