The license board is similar to the sphere grid in X, in the sense that you learn abilities, but you also gain licenses for armor & weapons. It looks like a chess/checkerboard, but it works pretty well. You're only able to learn things on adjacent squares from what you already know. Eventually, everyone can learn everything.
The cast is great. Vaa-aa-aan takes a lot of crap for being a dope, some is justifiable, most is overkill. The NPCs/temporary characters are also a lot of fun. XII utilizes races moreso than others from the standard series, even though only one (Fran) of your team is non-human.
The world is pretty massive compared to FFI-X. Lots to explore.
The sidequest aren't these annoying dodging games, but actually utilize the gameplay through hunts & searching for rare game.
The monsters are incredible. They range from whimsical, like the Cactoids & Mandragons to ferocious, like the Ring Wyrm. They may be overshadowed by XV's screenshots, but @ least you can play this game.
One thing people don't mention are the Quickenings. It's probably because there's a learning curve, but once you get the hang of them, they are great. Everyone has 3. Some are truly epic, like Balthier's Tides of Faith. You should search them on Youtube.
FFXII seems to take great influence from Star Wars, in spite of the producer's denial. It's the standard Rebels vs Evil Empire. Judges that resemble Darth Vader. Roguish Sky Pirate & his non-human co-pilot w/ cool airship. Princess dethroned by Evil Empire. Bounty Hunter chasing Sky Pirate. City in the Sky working w/ rebels behind the scenes. Lots of desert & dust. The list goes on.