Final Fantasy XII

Best: The Gambit system

Final Fantasy XII’s MMO-lite battle system has a lot going on at any given moment. It’s not quite an action game, not quite a turn-based one, but it does play out in real-time while you manage cooldowns and resources. But the Gambit system, which lets you get into some real specific minutiae to prepare for different scenarios, makes a lot of that much more manageable. Want your team to cast healing spells if you reach a certain health threshold? You can do that. These modular strategies can be tailored to different characters to lean into their strengths and account for their weaknesses. Engaging with the Gambit system is key to getting the most out of Final Fantasy XII’s combat, and watching your pre-planned tactics play out is always satisfying.

Worst: Not everyone in the cast stands out

Final Fantasy XII has some fan-favorite characters like Baltheir and Fran, but despite them being the community’s darlings, they aren’t the “main” characters, so they seldom get to represent the game in the larger franchise. Instead, we have Vaan. This is the guy who gets the roster slot in Dissidia, and he’s one of the least memorable people in a game that has some real standouts.