FF12 is indeed a masterpiece - one of the truly indispensable narratives of the 21st century. The writers somehow tapped into one of the fundamental geopolitical realities of our era -- the end of the US Empire and the rise of a more democratic, multicultural, and multilateral world (including a saner and more democratic America) in its wake.
I know some folks on this list didn't like the story. But when you dig into the script, FF12 is really, *really* complicated. Think of the complexity of a character like Gabranth, who seems to be utterly malevolent at the beginning - only it turns out he's not a cardboard villain at all, but someone who had to make some tough choices... and that's just one minor non-player character. Think of the complexity of the Archadian Empire - how it's not just about military conquest, but also has noble ideals of service and honor, which have been twisted by the accumulation of power. This is world-class scriptwriting.
And I dare anyone to find an interracial romance with the subtlety, breezy wit and downright equality of Fran and Balthier in *any* mainstream work of art in the past twenty years. Other videogames may mention race and gender, but FF12's writers had the courage to confront these issues directly.
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