Gamernode: Reviews - Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

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• Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wi...
• Nintendo DS
• Square Enix
• Square Enix
• November 20th, 2007

Battles can be won with the simple strategy of sending in all the units at once, and letting the strength of numbers win out over careful planning. The strengths and weaknesses do help, and are apparent in battles, but unless one makes a terrible tactical decision or has fewer units then the enemies, victory is almost assured. Hero units can also be programmed to use a single gambit repeatedly, but not under certain conditions. It feels limited when one remembers the wonderfully complex Gambit system in FFXII. Don't expect Penelo to use Curaga when the party is low on HP, and then switch to Esunaga when a nasty status effect is cast. Gamers will have to pull this off manually.

The RTS elements in Revenant Wings are almost insignificant compared to typical RTS games. Resource management, micromanaging units, and just about every typical gameplay element we expect in an RTS is either removed, or severely simplified in Revenant Wings. Units are summoned to the battlefield via portals the gamer has to capture -- this is the extent of resources in the game. Micromanaging units is not advisable since the stylus is not specific or quick enough. Like the RPG elements, the best strategy is to send in the whole army and pick up the pieces afterwards.

With all these problems one would think Revenant Wings is a bother to play. In fact, it's just the opposite. Revenant Wings is special in its simplicity and as a result the gaming experience is very relaxing. The typical intense RTS is replaced by a laid back good time which requires just minimal planning to get the best results. Despite the fact that the underlying mechanics don't work as well as they could the end result of victory is still satisfying despite the game's problems. There is something to be said for a game that all one wants to do after they put it down is to pick it up again just to experience one more battle to advance the story.

One final aspect of Revenant Wings worth mentioning is the music. Tracks have been taken straight from FFXII and translate surprisingly well onto the DS. Being downgraded in quality may annoy some, but for longtime Final Fantasy fans, hearing the FFXII tracks resemble the older scores of Final Fantasy games is actually quite enjoyable.

So is Revenant Wings worth the purchase? If you're a fan of Final Fantasy, especially FFXII, then it's a must-have. The story alone is worth the price of entry. Those looking for a more light-hearted Final Fantasy adventure will be pleased with what Revenant Wings offers. It gives a glimpse at what Final Fantasy XII would have been if Square had stuck with the traditional FF narrative structure and attitude instead of the mature route they went. Yes, the RPG/RTS gameplay hybrid is odd and not fully realized, and the graphics aren't as special as they could be, but they aren't bad enough that they distract from the strengths of Revenant Wings. Take the game for what it is and you'll be happily satisfied.

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