Women begin with a slightly higher magic stat
The magic stat boost is so minor that it is overcome by class selection and equipment within a few levels. On its own, it doesn't mean much. But next to the fact that men start out with a physical attack boost, it might be taken to mean that women aren't as physically able as men. The fact that it is easily mitigated could be a positive, though - a woman can perform any task as ably as a man if she decides to.

As a Final Fantasy fan losing interest in the series due to its endless spinoffs and returns to FFVII's lore base, I played XII out of a sort of obligation. Design-wise, it features one of the best and one of the worst ideas I've seen in an RPG for a long time.

I've always liked this game, but some stumbling blocks prevented me from finishing it. But what makes FFCC interesting is that the game's best and worst features are the same.

Before the title dismisses me as a Coors Light swilling FPS addict, let me make two things perfectly clear: First, I drink Miller. It's a more refined version of swill, and has a much more appealing label (just LOOK at that blue). Second, I cut my gaming teeth on games like the first Final Fantasy, logged more than 140 hours on Xenogears, and unlocked every Chrono Trigger ending. I've played them all, from Suikoden to Vandal Hearts to Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.

Videogame stories, until recently, were an afterthought. No one bothered postulating why Pac-man was eating dots and fleeing phantasms. It was simply assumed that someone came along periodically to empty the arcade cabinet's coinbox, and that money went to pay the people who made it - that was the entire impetus for the game's internal progress. Story wasn't an issue when the game only asked for a few minutes of your life. Arcade cabinets were a vending machine. Coins in, refreshment out.

This essay was submitted for my Rhetorical Analysis class. It was returned with a message that it exceeded expectations and earned an A. I was also invited to take a look at Iowa State University's graduate program in Rhetoric - I was flattered, because I think there's a lot of room for improvement in this paper.

I went to the rental place to look for Beyond Good and Evil, which sadly was nowhere to be found. Of all the "last gen" games they had, I picked up Prince of Persia: Two Thrones, and this, since they were running a 2 game special. Having walked out of the store with them, I realized that I really didn't feel like sitting down to a hardcore JRPG grind session. I put it in the PS2 and said aloud to no one in particular that if there was even a hint of terrible voice acting, I would stop immediately. I was looking for an excuse not to play it.