Final Fantasy XII dated for Europe

Final Fantasy XII is already knocking the socks off of role-playing fans on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The game has so far sold 4 million copies worldwide since its March launch in Japan and its October launch in the US. It garnered a rare perfect score from Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, and for the late October US launch day, Square Enix shipped 1.5 million units to retail--the largest day-one availability for any game in the publisher's history.

Now Europe knows when it will have a chance to see what all the fuss is about. The latest title in the hugely popular role-playing game series has been given a European launch date of February 23. The PlayStation 2 game features a totally revamped battle system from previous installments and boasts more than 70 hours of gameplay, "if the player doesn't stray too far from the beaten path."

Set in a world called Ivalice against the backdrop of war, FFXII tells the story of a young orphan named Vaan who dreams of escaping life on the streets and piloting his own airship. The boy teams up with Princess Ashe, the sole surviving heir to her family's kingdom, who was thought to have died a long time ago on an epic quest across the land.

A spokesperson for Square Enix confirmed that there would be midnight launch events for the title, but had no further details at this time.

For more on the game, check out GameSpot's full review and an interview with Final Fantasy XII's producer, Akitoshi Kawazu.