Our story takes place in a world called Ivalice, in an age when magic was commonplace and airships plied the skies - the Archadian Empire, seeking to strengthen its base of power, had been invading and subjugating its neighboring lands one by one - a fate which befell the small Kingdom of Dalmasca. Archadia's invasion and the subsequent death of the Dalmascan king prompted the Princess Ashe, the sole surviving heir to the Dalmascan throne, to take up arms against the invaders. In her struggle to oust the occupying Archadian forces and restore freedom to her people, Ashe must watch as many of her allies pay the blood price for that freedom. Though tempted to abandon all hope in the face of the Empire's might, her determination keeps her from succumbing before what would seem to be inevitable defeat. Then she meets Vaan, an urchin from the Dalmascan capital of Rabanastre. Vaan dreams of one day becoming a sky pirate, escaping the Empire on his airship. Vaan, Ashe, Vaan's friend Penelo, the sky pirate Balthier, his partner Fran and many more are on an adventure through Ivalice that traces the mysteries behind the Archadian Empire’s invasion.

• Every aspect of the graphics brings color to the world of Ivalice - blues and oranges reminiscent of the Mediterranean evoke a landscape alive with a mix of European and Arabian imagery.
• The story isn't all that's new... experience an evolved battle system with numerous features never before seen in the FINAL FANTASY series.
• ADB - Active Dimension Battle is a shift from ATB (Active Time Battle), lending more realism to the battle by allowing seamless switching between the field and the battle scene.
• Load times between field and battle scenes are eliminated, ensuring smoother gaming.
• Besides time elements, such as the attack timing, the player can fully utilize the field geography in terms of differences in ground level, intricate terrain, places with low visibility and the like.
• Enemy monsters can also take advantage of the varied tactics that ADB offers, possessing sophisticated AI to ambush parties, back up their comrades and restore health.
• Airships feature prominently in FINAL FANTASY XII. They come in all shapes and sizes and are used for everything from the trading of goods to the waging of war.