Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings Critic Reviews

It could easily be my pick for the best DS game this year because it seems to have all the right ingredients: A great story, unique gameplay, killer visuals, and a fantastic score. All of these elements combine to create the best gaming experience on the DS this year, and it's no wonder that this precious gem came from the folks at Square-Enix. It's an absolute joy to play, and I can't overstate my satisfaction with this game.

Revenant Wings offers some fresh gameplay for the mammoth RPG series and while the dominant RTS element may not be for everyone, it’s certainly been simplified a lot to offer a good 30 entertaining hours or so.

The disappointing lack of multiplayer modes aside, this is almost the perfect strategy package.

It's an interesting addition to the Final Fantasy franchise and proof that Square Enix can deliver a good title that doesn't fall back on RPG conventions.

This is well worth a DS owner’s time, and easily one of the best things Square-Enix has published for the system.

The RTS gameplay may be different to the standard RPG found in the most Japanese entry in the series, but the light-hearted nature of the game and the fact that it is so different to the original, while still retaining many key elements, makes them feel identical.

The usual audience will be captivated by its story, that’s complemented with some great real time strategy mechanics. Just trying to unlock all of the elemental Espers will make you addicted.

Witty story, great characters and a bite-size battle system that's ideal for DS. You can't fail to be impressed by this, regardless of whether or not you're a fan of Final Fantasy.

Doesn't knock "Advance Wars" from the strategy throne, but a must for FF nuts.

It has as much depth as we can ask for a true real-time RTS based in Ivalice, with some of the best production values this side of a first-party Nintendo release.

A very good fantasy-RTS slash -RPG with heavy emphasis on the RTS-side of things. The difficulty level seems to be all over the place and the story is quite dull, though.

While the controls take some getting used to (especially if you’re a southpaw), there is plenty of fun to be had in Revenant Wings.

In short: come for Balthier, stay for the solid gameplay. It's a win-win situation.

You never get the impression that there's something lacking, but experienced RTS fans may hunger for something more challenging.

Overall, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is a solid game.

Just as Final Fantasy Tactics did nearly 10 years ago, Revenant Wings successfully takes the series into uncharted waters in an unforgettable way.

We’ve got a few gripes with the design, as units will often bunch together, enemy AI still isn’t too bright, and the linear feel makes it easy to stock up on units and then run your blob of fighters from beginning to end with little challenge – at least during the first half of the game – but as an overall product Revenant Wings is nothing short of impressive.

While the difficulty of Revenant Wings could be dialed up a notch or two for experienced gamers, it’s a fun, great-looking game that will keep you occupied for fifteen to twenty hours.

While Revenant Wings may be little more than a handheld equivalent to Final Fantasy X-2, it does what it was meant to do quite well.

Thanks to some tough (but never unreasonably frustrating) battles, a healthy dose of fan service, and a quality localization, Revenant Wings is a thoroughly enjoyable hybrid. It's hardly the second coming of Final Fantasy XII...but somehow manages to turn that into a strength anyway.