Not only is the latest "Final Fantasy" adventure one of the finest in the longstanding role-playing game series — which has sold an incredible 68 million games to date — but also it may be the last great Sony PlayStation 2 title before the PlayStation 3 debuts this month.

In short, don't pass on this lengthy, deep and gorgeous role-playing game — whether you plan on investing in a PlayStation 3 or not.

Square Enix's "Final Fantasy XII" (rated T for teen) takes place in Ivalice, a once-prosperous world, now subjugated by an invasion by the malevolent Archadian Empire. "Star Wars" may have been an influence in this game's political undertones as it also involves a feisty princess and a young rebel, Vaan, who vows revenge against the Empire for killing his brother. An opening scene sees humans walking the streets along with strange lizardlike creatures while airships whiz by.

But as with most other "Final Fantasy" adventures, which balance exploration, combat and dialogue, you will work toward unraveling a grand mystery by traveling with a unique group of characters and will learn something profound about yourself in the process. Plot twists and emotional surprises are also "Final Fantasy" hallmarks you can expect from this game.

Traveling the huge world, which is divided into three main continents, is handled on foot, airship, teleportation crystals or by riding on the back of bizarre creatures named Chocobos.

The most dramatic change over past "Final Fantasy" games, however, is how the combat sequences play out. Called the "Active Dimension Battle" system, the Japanese developers successfully fused "turn-based" combat — where you can choose your offensive or defensive strategy between turns with the enemies — with "real time" fighting, where there is no break in the action. With the latter, unlike past "Final Fantasy" games, enemies can be seen walking around the environment instead of unexpectedly entering the combat screen.

New "target" lines during battles easily tell you what you are facing: a red arching line drawn between characters indicates enemy actions against your allies; a blue line indicates an action from an ally against an enemy; while a green line means a healing action, such as casting a cure, between party members. Also new to the series is the use of "gambits," a kind of programmable behavior you can give your characters before a battle plays out. Another interesting game-play mechanic is a license system, which means you must obtain skills, such as melee attacks or magic, before using them.