20 PS2 Games That Still Hold Up

Final Fantasy XII is among the most ambitious entries in Square's adored franchise, since it was the first major instalment to discard random encounters and incorporate real-time battles. 

It also excluded many nostalgic characters, including Chocobos, Moogles, and classic Summons, like Ifrit, Ramuh, and even Bahamut. FFXII also marked the first time you could become a Summon, allowing you to battle dozens of enemies while traversing through the vast open-world.

Yes, this major break in tradition could've backfired, but the changes were welcome since they highlighted the decades-old series wasn't stuck in the past. The heart of the brand was still there, but Final Fantasy was still evolving.

Although the characters and world-building are superb, one element that needs to be singled out is the Gambit System, which lets players program their party members’ AI with commands. Not only does this mechanic create another tactical layer, it makes every brawl more fluid once players get the hang of it.

Even though Final Fantasy XII doesn't get the same love as Final Fantasy VII, its influence is unmistakable, since many elements have been carried over to later titles.