Joe Shieh
January 31, 2008 
After saving the world from doom, Yuna went on to become a pop star and Cloud and company returned back to the bar business. So what about those rascally kids, Vaan and Penelo, from Final Fantasy XII? Why, they follow their dreams and become the ire of Ivalice, of course!
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings tells the tale of Vaan and Penelo and their climb to the top as pirates. Seeing how the scum of the world aren’t up to snuff with current events, the two have plenty of new adversaries to square off against. Instead of going the typical strategy role-playing route, FFXII: RW adopts a battle system that draws inspiration from real-time strategy games.
There are three different kinds of units (air, ground, magic) and they operate using a rock-paper-scissors mechanic. Because it was designed to be the underlying principle of the battle system, the game recommends that you strategize with these weaknesses and advantages in mind. But, early on, you find out that storming the enemies as a giant posse is far more efficient. Why bust out a mini-group to take down an enemy when you can call in the whole army?
With your airship acting as the central hub, the world is your oyster. Each map has a set of minerals for you to mine and a few chests for you to pillage. The minerals can range from being material for you to forge new items or agents to replenish your HP. So rather than just bulldozing through a stage with your mob train, you’ll probably spend some time looting and pillaging, just as a real pirate should.
FFXII: RW is broken up into separate chapters, which are further broken down into sub-chapters. After each segment of the game, you’re allowed to save your progress; it’s perfect for gaming on the go. The gameplay and camera are both controlled through the stylus. However, I recommend using the stylus primarily for troop management and the D-pad for camera control. Occasionally battles will become hectic dog-piling sessions, but each of your leaders has their own icon on the top of the screen for instant access. With that said, events still have the potential to get messy fairly quickly.
FFXII: RW is a tight little package. With the colorful sprite graphics and practically identical soundtrack paired with gameplay that’s a joy, this is definitely a Final Fantasy sequel and DS game done right.
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
System: Nintendo DS
Available: Now
Rating: E 10+
