I didn't play X-2. Not much interest in it. Julia played it and enjoyed it quite a bit, and it was something of a step toward what FFXII's battle system is, but FFXII is still quite different. And yes, I would say that FFXII is the best FF ever made. Most people will tell you that's VI, but I tried going back and playing it and I can assure you that yes, that's nostalgia talking. The game wasn't horrendous or anything, but even as a super-hardcore old-school game guy I couldn't enjoy it much, *especially* after the improved fluidity of the modern FF titles. I think there are areas where the old games shine more, but I can most definitely say that FFXII is (in my experience) more fun than I have ever even come close to having with other FF games. The story is a bit less personal, which should be kept in mind, as it focuses more on war, politics, that kind of thing, but the characters are still great and the writing is *INFINITELY* better than all the FFs that came before it. Really though, what I love is that the entire game is basically this huge playground where you can fight really tough bosses. There are regular enemies, sure, but nearly all the side quests are basically boss fights of one kind or another. If you love taking on big enemies that will challenge you, look awesome, and keep you up nights in anticipation of your next encounter, this is your game. This also makes it a little bit less linear than some other FF games. I mean, story progression and world exploration are both somewhat limited to the exact path of the story, but not entirely. You can go places you aren't necessarily meant to and fuck around a while, and there are so many "hunts" (find boss-ish monster, go kill it) that you can, and you can do whichever have become available in any order and at any time... so while I wouldn't *really* call the game non-linear, it doesn't feel nearly as much so to me as the other games did.
