FFXII will take place in the familiar world of Invalice where Moogles, Bangaa, Viera and Humes live together in relative harmony. The game focuses on a time when the mighty Archadian Dynasty waged war on its neighbors and conquered them one by one. The game takes place in one of those conquered countries called - Dalmasca. Dalmasca is a very Mediterranean themed land with lots of desert, beaches and architecture that reflects the region, combined with the game series' own unique styles.

The game begins with the Archadian Dynasty forces establishing a new consul in the royal city of Rabanastre, catching the attention of the main character in the game - a street urchin named Vaan. Vaan, a slippery fellow who learned how to survive on the streets any way that he could hated the Empire for killing his only family member - brother. It is at this point that Vaan decides to sneak into the castle and purloin a few treasures from the forces that occupy it, but fate finds him in the middle of a deadly battle between this army and a group of resistance fighters. It is during this exchange with these forces that Vaan meets the leader of the resistance, the Princess Ashe, the sole remaining heir to the kingdom's throne..

The game follows Vaan, Princess Ashe and many other new and notable characters on their adventures through Invalice and tells the story behind the Archadian Dynasty. We'll have more on some of the key characters in the game a bit later, but now let's move on to some of the new features being brought to the table by Yasumi Matsuno and his team.

Square Enix promises a game with a whole new graphical engine sporting a brighter (though no doubt not cheerful) world full of blues and Oranges. As we mentioned earlier, there will be a distinct Mediterranean theme, offering Arabic and European themes melded with the game series own unique styles. The screenshots (which can be found at the end of this article) show off some of what Square Enix is aiming for with this title, and it looks nice. Sound and music will also get an upgrade in the game, with in-game events, cinematics and more presented in Dobly Pro Logic II. Square Enix has a massive sound studio in Japan and there's no doubt that it's already been heavily utilized for this game.

Another thing that will play a key role in the game is airships. If you've played previous games in the series then you know that airships are an important part of Invalice. In FFXII you'll see airships everywhere, used for everything from trading goods and waging war to good old fashioned piracy. Airships will come in all shapes and sizes, but the main airship in the game will be about 1,00 feet from bow to stern. Players will find themselves spending some quality time in the skies over Invalice, advancing the story and more than likely engaging in all sort of chicanery.

Last, but not least, the battle system is getting a major overhaul, removing the bad things that slow players down and adding new elements to make combat a lot more fun to play. The Active Dimension Battle (ADB) system will replace the Active Time Battle (ATB) in FFXII and promises more realism by allowing for seamless switching between the field and the battle system. Load times that are unrelated to gameplay have been removed - including, as we mentioned, moving from the field and the battle system.

Besides attack timing, ADB also provides full use of the field including ground level terrain, visibility, etc. Enemies will also use the ADB and A.I. to offer more challenging battles, the ability to ambush the party, help heal allies and more. The battle system uses colored arching lines (like a rainbow) to indicate clearly who's attacking what. Blues lines represent the player, while red lines represent monsters attacking player characters. The system offers active and wait modes when in combat. Wait mode lets each character attack when the "wait" meter is filled. This continues until the enemy is defeated or the player switches to another target - the mode pauses whenever a menu is opened. Active mode is similar, but more streamlined.

Players can pause combat at any time, adjust views to their liking and issue commands to characters. The system also allows for a special command that will let the entire group attack one enemy, streamlining the combat process even more. Combat can be affected by terrain, the type of weapon being used and a whole lot more. Square Enix is really tweaking the combat engine in new and exciting ways for sure. Let's hope that these changes will make the system more refined and less of a hassle to both new fans and old fans of Final Fantasy.

Finally, here's a list of biographical data and backstories for a number of the key characters in the game including Vaan, his girlfriend, a pirate and a noble but fallen princess:

Character Profiles

Vaan

Age/Sex: 17/Male

Race: Hume

Bio: The lighthearted hero who lost both his parents and dreams of one day having his own airship. He sets out from his home in the heart of Dalmasca to become a sky pirate. He looks on the future with an air of hope.



Ashe

Age/Sex: 19/Female

Race: Hume

Bio: Her whereabouts since the Archadian invasion are unknown. The rightful heir to the Dalmascan throne, she also leads the resistance. She’s tough, iron-willed and carries herself with dignity.



Fran

Age/Sex: Unknown/Female

Race: Viera

Bio: Balthier’s devoted partner. A viera warrior, she is possessed of superior wisdom and stamina. Able to wield any weapon, she is as skilled with swords as she is with her bare hands. She also excels as an archer and plays an active part in maintaining the airship.



Balthier

Age/Sex: 22/Male

Race: Hume

Bio: Daring though he is, he relies greatly on his partner, Fran. He fights with firearms and commands his own airship. A man without a country, he nevertheless is a sky pirate with a code, stealing only from the wicked. He’s a skilled mechanic who has a way with jokes and women.

Penelo

Age/Sex: 16/Female

Race: Hume

Bio: Penelo lives among the same bustling streets as her boyfriend, Vaan. She, too, lost her family in the war but still enthusiastically goes about making her living in the bazaar. Though a talented singer and dancer, she is no stranger to battle, having learned to fight from her brothers, who once belonged to an order of knights. She overcomes any obstacles in her way and exhibits strength of character in all she does.



Basch

Age/Sex: 36/Male

Race: Hume

Bio: A Dalmascan General who has been victorious in numerous battles, he is a hero with a strict sense of justice. Recruited from the ranks of the commoners, he enjoyed overwhelming popularity amongst the Dalmascans. However, during the arbitration ceremony with the Arcadian Empire, he murders the King of Dalmasca. Why would someone as loyal as him assassinate the king?