Super underrated Final Fantasy. One of my favorites, but it definitely isn't for everyone. It's very much like an MMO. It's an amazing game in a lot of ways, but I find that the biggest flaw in this game is the story and characters. The story starts off strong, but it never goes anywhere interesting or meaningful. Most of the characters are great but they never get the development needed to be grow as people. I didn't mind Vaan at all, but found Penelo annoying. The most interesting characters like Balthier, Ashe, Fran, and Basch don't have much development, so you end up not really caring a whole lot about the main story.

The game really shines in it's gameplay and world. Final Fantasy games usually feel like a slog when the story grinds to a halt, but FF12 kept me hooked the whole way through. The gambit system is a ton of fun in my opinion. It's like programming your allies to react without manually commanding them to do so. It probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the planning of gambits is super important when going up against the tougher super bosses. Ivalice also such a huge and interesting world. There's so much to do. The hunts are a ton of fun, and there's a ton of extra bosses, encounters, and challenges if you're into that. Monster designs are so cool, and music is fantastic. Overall an amazing game, but again, not for everyone. You'll know if the game's for you within the first few hours. A huge recommend from me though.

You can't play as Cloud from Final Fantasy but you can pretend you are him if you want. Very good game.