Claim: Final Fantasy XII was released before Final Fantasy XIII.

is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2 home video console . Released in 2006 , it is the twelfth title in the mainline Final Fantasy series . The game introduced several innovations to the series : an open world split into zones , a seamless battle system , a controllable camera , a customizable `` gambit '' system which lets the player control the artificial intelligence -LRB- AI -RRB- of characters in battle ; and a `` license '' system that determines which abilities and equipment are used by characters . Final Fantasy XII also includes elements from previous games in the series , such as Chocobos and Moogles .   The game takes place in the fictional land of Ivalice , where the empires of Archadia and Rozarria are waging an endless war . Dalmasca , a small kingdom , is caught between the warring nations . When Dalmasca is annexed by Archadia , its princess , Ashe , creates a resistance movement . During the struggle , she meets Vaan , a young adventurer who dreams of becoming a sky pirate in command of an airship . They are quickly joined by a band of allies ; together , they rally against the tyranny of the Archadian Empire .   Final Fantasy XII received critical acclaim , earning numerous `` Game of the Year '' awards in various categories from noted video game publications . Selling more than two million copies in Japan , it became the fourth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of 2006 worldwide . By November 2009 , over 6 million copies of the game were sold worldwide . A sequel , Final Fantasy XII : Revenant Wings , was released for the Nintendo DS in 2007 . A high-definition remaster of the International Zodiac Job System version , subtitled The Zodiac Age , will be released worldwide for the PlayStation 4 in July 2017 .