FF12 is a sleeper in the FF series that I don't feel like is appreciated enough.
Playing the games in order, I found myself enjoying the gameplay of FF12 more than any of the prior games. FF12 took a more exploratory approach to gameplay than all the prior games, opting to turn their ATB system into a more MMO like one where you can move in the environment while fighting. Although I also enjoyed gameplay when it cut out to a static battle, this new system really added some spice into the game while also remaining loyal to most of the old combat mechanics. A lot of the same spells, items, abilities return in some way or another, and the ability to move added new ways to use old strategies. FF12 also has both leveling and the license board, which is kind of like the sphere grid in FF10. The license board for each character basically determined their class, and swapping classes is pretty simple. This kept gameplay refreshing as you unlocked new abilities/weapons/equipment in the boards and then equipped it to grow stronger. It really felt like I was given a lot of freedom to play the way I wanted to.
On the topic of freedom, the actual world itself also gives an insane amount of freedom. Similar to how the gameplay is more MMO like, the world is also more MMO like. Most FF games start pretty linear, but open up over time as you unlock things like boats and aircrafts. However, FF12 starts off quite open from the start. Although there are story areas that the game pushes you to and some places cannot be accessed so early on, the map is honestly largely open right from the start. You can pretty much begin exploring and doing side content right away, and I did quite a bit. Speaking of side content, FF12 honestly promotes you to do it with hunts, which are basically like quests to fight bosses. Some of these bosses get quite hard if you are doing them underleveled, but level up a bit + get more equipment and most are manageable. With the addition of hunts, FF12 probably has more bosses than two prior games combined. There are so many bosses and mini-bosses, and that really kept the game fresh.
Now onto my only real gripe of the game... the story. FF12 tries to craft this grand political intrigue adventure, like a Star Wars type of story. The story was honestly much larger than prior games, and I appreciated their attempts. However, I just found myself thinking the story was the weakest part. It really felt like things weren't really fully thought out and a lot of parts of it were a mess/felt very random. Good thing is, the gameplay was fun enough that I often just found myself enjoying the experience and not needing to worry about the story. Though the story is a mess, I did enjoy the characters, especially ones like Balthier. Most of the characters grew on me over time, with Vann and Penelo honestly being the two that stood out the least to me.
Overall, I think FF12 is a very solid exploratory entry in the FF series with very fun gameplay, but a bit messy of a story. I would recommend anyone who is a fan of FF series to give this one a go.
