Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is a real-time strategy game for the Nintendo DS, built by Think & Feel and Square Enix, with Square Enix handling publishing duties. It launched in 2007 for Japan and North America, then hit PAL territories in 2008. As a direct but standalone follow-up to 2006’s Final Fantasy XII, it kicked off the Ivalice Alliance—a series of games sharing that fictional world. The story follows Vaan and Penelo as they take up sky piracy and get tangled in a struggle over the floating continent of Lemurés.

Development started with the goal of making an original, accessible Final Fantasy for the DS. The Ivalice connection came later, after Final Fantasy XII proved successful. Key staff included director Hiroshi Matsuyama, co-director and writer Motomu Toriyama, along with artists Isamu Kamikokuryo and Ryoma Itō. The gameplay took cues from Warcraft and Age of Empires. Kenichiro Fukui composed the original music, with only a few tracks directly adapted from Hitoshi Sakimoto’s Final Fantasy XII soundtrack.

The game was announced in September 2006, with its Ivalice Alliance role confirmed later that year. The international version got extra content and a higher difficulty. It sold over a million copies worldwide and earned positive reviews from critics. Many praised its graphics and presentation as top-notch for the DS. The story drew mixed opinions, with many noting its lighter tone compared to Final Fantasy XII. Gameplay was mostly well-received, though reviewers flagged issues with the stylus controls and artificial intelligence.

**Gameplay**

Revenant Wings is a real-time strategy title where players command squads led by commanders, completing missions on maps often tied to the story. After a certain point, players get an airship to navigate the world, though only a few areas are accessible at a time. Landing lets players select missions. On the ship, a shop appears for equipment and materials, plus an artificer who crafts new items from resources gathered during missions.

Combat zones use a fixed overhead 3D view with 2D sprite characters. Players control units via the DS touchscreen and D-pad, selecting units or moving the camera to scout or reposition. Unit and map screens can swap between the top and bottom displays as needed. Besides main story quests, optional side missions appear on an in-game bulletin board.