My intro to Final Fantasy
This review contains spoilers
This was my first Final Fantasy ever so I may be a tad bias but I absolutely love this game. The story, characters, soundtrack and gameplay all result in an awesome experience I recommend to anyone who liked tactical RPGs or FF in general.
It's not perfect and has issues with insane difficulty spikes, one which if you fuck up and progress and can't win you are screwed and will probably have to start a new file. You know the one. Also, there's a broken combo in this game that makes end game laughably easy when built right and the translations aren't perfect.
The game also has an issue with the low amount of custom character you can have. If you stick with the ones you get at the start and obtain/keep every story NPC and maybe catch a couple of monsters you are done. There's no room for more characters. Probably due to PSX limitation but it makes jobs like Mediator woefully irreverent due to the low chance of befriending units then if you do you probably have little to no space to actually keep them.
Speaking of end game there's very little after the main story too but it has nice easter eggs with FFVII characters and a dungeon and a few other things. Despite that, the base story alone is worth a playthrough. Good stuff and can scratch the medievil fantasy itch that has been missing from JRPGs lately.
This is one of the best FF stories that is unfortunately overlooked due to it not being a main title and the type of gameplay.
It's not perfect and has issues with insane difficulty spikes, one which if you fuck up and progress and can't win you are screwed and will probably have to start a new file. You know the one. Also, there's a broken combo in this game that makes end game laughably easy when built right and the translations aren't perfect.
The game also has an issue with the low amount of custom character you can have. If you stick with the ones you get at the start and obtain/keep every story NPC and maybe catch a couple of monsters you are done. There's no room for more characters. Probably due to PSX limitation but it makes jobs like Mediator woefully irreverent due to the low chance of befriending units then if you do you probably have little to no space to actually keep them.
Speaking of end game there's very little after the main story too but it has nice easter eggs with FFVII characters and a dungeon and a few other things. Despite that, the base story alone is worth a playthrough. Good stuff and can scratch the medievil fantasy itch that has been missing from JRPGs lately.
This is one of the best FF stories that is unfortunately overlooked due to it not being a main title and the type of gameplay.
melhor rpg tático já feito
This is an incredible and ambitious Tactics/RPG. For starters, this game has an extensive tutorial and the ability to recap the story and rewatch cutscenes. All are first that I’ve seen in a PS1 game. It also has a vast amount of lore leading up to its story. The world of Ivalice truly feels alive and great care went into its history and world building.
By far the best thing about this game is it’s job system. There are 20 jobs (classes) and unlocking them is a thrill in and of itself. You can assign a job to a character and equip them with skills from other jobs. The result is near endless experimentation by mixing jobs and skills. I could easily see myself making a team of Summoning Archers or Time Mage Ninjas in the a future playthrough. There are many possibilities. As glorious as the job system is, it can become quite overwhelming. To prevent wasting job points, I often felt forced to change jobs once I mastered one. Doing this for 5+ characters felt like a hassle. This becomes more apparent the longer you play. Thankfully, your primary job’s set of skills can be used as secondary, preventing you from starting from scratch when changing to a new job.
I loved playing this game, but there were a few flaws. Some attacks/abilities are unclear as to what attributes are important for their power/success rate. There is guide online but it is extremely complicated. During boss fights, the game suffers from difficulty spikes and/or scripted battles. You’ll learn quickly that these battles need to be done ASAP, as the boss and their minions will slaughter your party, but it diminishes the strategic element of the game. These fights usually end when the boss is in critical condition, making them seem anticlimactic as they vanish off the screen, only to fight them later. This happens often. There are also times where you’ll have consecutive battles. If you aren’t properly leveled up and save in between these battles, you could be stuck in a fight that you can’t win.
I didn’t find the story outstanding, but it is unpredictable and complex, with drama and mystical elements that I always find appealing. The strategic battles can create some unforgettable moments. One battle, I stole a bosses’ sword, so he was forced to punch me instead of using his regular attacks lol. In another battle, a boss and his minions nearly wiped my party but I killed him with what would’ve been my final attack.
This game has an insane amount of detail, a nice soundtrack, and the job system is addictive. I can’t imagine that there are many PS1 games better than this.
By far the best thing about this game is it’s job system. There are 20 jobs (classes) and unlocking them is a thrill in and of itself. You can assign a job to a character and equip them with skills from other jobs. The result is near endless experimentation by mixing jobs and skills. I could easily see myself making a team of Summoning Archers or Time Mage Ninjas in the a future playthrough. There are many possibilities. As glorious as the job system is, it can become quite overwhelming. To prevent wasting job points, I often felt forced to change jobs once I mastered one. Doing this for 5+ characters felt like a hassle. This becomes more apparent the longer you play. Thankfully, your primary job’s set of skills can be used as secondary, preventing you from starting from scratch when changing to a new job.
I loved playing this game, but there were a few flaws. Some attacks/abilities are unclear as to what attributes are important for their power/success rate. There is guide online but it is extremely complicated. During boss fights, the game suffers from difficulty spikes and/or scripted battles. You’ll learn quickly that these battles need to be done ASAP, as the boss and their minions will slaughter your party, but it diminishes the strategic element of the game. These fights usually end when the boss is in critical condition, making them seem anticlimactic as they vanish off the screen, only to fight them later. This happens often. There are also times where you’ll have consecutive battles. If you aren’t properly leveled up and save in between these battles, you could be stuck in a fight that you can’t win.
I didn’t find the story outstanding, but it is unpredictable and complex, with drama and mystical elements that I always find appealing. The strategic battles can create some unforgettable moments. One battle, I stole a bosses’ sword, so he was forced to punch me instead of using his regular attacks lol. In another battle, a boss and his minions nearly wiped my party but I killed him with what would’ve been my final attack.
This game has an insane amount of detail, a nice soundtrack, and the job system is addictive. I can’t imagine that there are many PS1 games better than this.
The best Final Fantasy game, and quite possibly the best ever video game, period.
Best story. Best music. Best gameplay.
Best story. Best music. Best gameplay.
I can tell this is an incredible game but fuck ME is it slow. It's way too slow. Look, it's grand, but it's too slow ok? Don't get mad at me. Too slow. Gotta go.
Smart game, for masochistic people. Not at all, but damn bro.
Any of its flaws can be excused by the strength of the opening and the ending. Dear God, do not play it on the PSP.
One of my favorite games ever. Final Fantasy Tactics is everything I look for in a tactical RPG. This game has been a staple in my Playlist for a long time. It is difficult and took me many years to actually beat it but it was such a good game I kept starting again over the years and one day I finally got it right. A great story, incredible tactical gameplay, and an overall rewarding experience. Highly recommended. A masterpiece to me.
Even Matsuno said this was Tactics Ogre but for normies.
okay we all know it's one of the greatest rpgs of all time, certainly one of the best tactical rpgs, and it taught me more about class stratification than an entire social anthropology course during my junior year; but let's focus on the fact that this gem brought of some of the best bad translations ever, featuring iconic gibberish such as:
innocent: magic sword makes enemy disrespectful and not believe in god
"live, know, become a frog! frog!"
this's the way
and the absolutely timeless
L I T T L E M O N E Y
innocent: magic sword makes enemy disrespectful and not believe in god
"live, know, become a frog! frog!"
this's the way
and the absolutely timeless
L I T T L E M O N E Y
O jrpg quem fez gostar do subgênero ''tactics'', aqui fugimos do básico de ''bate e espera'', aqui precisamos montar estratégias em cada batalha, explorando as diferentes classes e habilidades/magias/equipamentos (por conta da diferença de terreno e altura dos mapas, tempo de casting de algumas habilidades e magias, tudo isso implica nas lutas), movendo os nossos personagens em pontos chaves do mapa, para atacar e defender algo ao longo das lutas, claro que nem todas as lutas vão ser difíceis, mas se comparando com os jogos seguintes (o tactics de gba e ds), as lutas principais, e algumas aleatórias são bem difíceis de lidar (quem teve o ''prazer'' de enfrentar o bando de choccobos pretos e vermelhos em lutas aleatórias, ou até mesmo a luta principal, contra Wiegraf Folles e o seu corredor polonês sabe o que eu to dizendo kk), fora o post game, que te faz mergulhar em uma sequência de dugeons, pra pegar algumas recompensas valiosas, desde equipamentos/habilidades e um companheiro em especial.
Se você que estiver lendo isso, e nunca teve contato com o gênero de jrpg ou o seu sub gênero tactics, e estava atrás de jogar esse jogo aqui, eu recomendo fortemente você jogar antes a versão de gba (jogue a versão europeia, não jogue a americana, pois nela há um bug que te impede de recrutar 2 personagens especiais, coisa que da pra concertar com 2 editores de do game, mas é trabalho demais para ''leigos'' com o jogo e computação), e depois a do ds, e depois se possível, jogue essa versão aqui do ps1 ou jogue a versão de psp, o motivo é muito simples, como ele é de longe o mais difícil dos 3 jogos, muitos podem acabar desistindo do jogo ou do subgênero em sí como todo, mas se você gosta de
se desafiar, pode seguir a ordem dos jogos normalmente.
Se você que estiver lendo isso, e nunca teve contato com o gênero de jrpg ou o seu sub gênero tactics, e estava atrás de jogar esse jogo aqui, eu recomendo fortemente você jogar antes a versão de gba (jogue a versão europeia, não jogue a americana, pois nela há um bug que te impede de recrutar 2 personagens especiais, coisa que da pra concertar com 2 editores de do game, mas é trabalho demais para ''leigos'' com o jogo e computação), e depois a do ds, e depois se possível, jogue essa versão aqui do ps1 ou jogue a versão de psp, o motivo é muito simples, como ele é de longe o mais difícil dos 3 jogos, muitos podem acabar desistindo do jogo ou do subgênero em sí como todo, mas se você gosta de
se desafiar, pode seguir a ordem dos jogos normalmente.
Los personajes, el mundo y el entramado político con un writting exquisito en los diálogos y escenas hace de Final Fantasy Tactics una de las mejores experiencias dentro de la saga.
Es complejo, apasionante y sus protagonistas están repletos de matices con muchas sorpresas a cada paso de la historia. So Good...
Es complejo, apasionante y sus protagonistas están repletos de matices con muchas sorpresas a cada paso de la historia. So Good...
There was a point when Tactical RPGs were a hard sell for me, but FFT turned out to be the perfect antidote. The inclusion of the job system in the game is one of the greatest strokes of genius in game design and carries the game into top-tier category. The world and narrative are excellent (though sadly some of the characters themselves could have been more compelling) and makes for an immersive low-fantasy epic. Not many games hit the right notes like FFT does.
Masterpiece. There isn’t another title in this genre of tactical RPG that gets close to this imo. The job system allows for wild character customization and that equates to endless replay ability. The story is amazing as well. Delita and Ramza’s story is so beautiful and tragic that it gets me everytime.
The best Final Fantasy game.
This game came out when I was 8 years old, I don't remember if I got it by mistake after hearing about how good Final Fantasy on the PlayStation was (obviously meaning FF7 lol) or just happened to pick it up randomly, but I'm glad I did.
It's highly political fantasy story may have gone way over my head at the time, but I remember still being drawn into its depth. At that age I was still probably mostly engaged in very simple "the hero is the good guy who saves the day and gets the girl at the end" stories. To play a game where you reject your family noble blood, fight for the commoners in a war involving rightful heir to the monarchy, making friends along the way only to be backstab by them, finding long lost friends only to find they've grown to value things much different than you shared as younger soldiers was incredibly compelling.
The gameplay was unlike anything I'd played before. Moving your characters around a board as if you were playing a game of chess with environmental advantages/disadvantages and RPG elements was so beyond my skill at that age. The class and weapon system allowed so much customization. Mixing and matching abilities and weapons from certain classes could literally break the game in the same way using cheats would. It felt like such an overwhelming sandbox of potential.
The rereleased version sub titled "The War of the Lions" has basically replaced this original version of the game on all store fronts. But I feel it's voiced 3D animated cutscenes removed a lot of the charm the in game graphics and text boxes had even though the gameplay is exactly the same. I'd recommend this version over that one any day.
It's highly political fantasy story may have gone way over my head at the time, but I remember still being drawn into its depth. At that age I was still probably mostly engaged in very simple "the hero is the good guy who saves the day and gets the girl at the end" stories. To play a game where you reject your family noble blood, fight for the commoners in a war involving rightful heir to the monarchy, making friends along the way only to be backstab by them, finding long lost friends only to find they've grown to value things much different than you shared as younger soldiers was incredibly compelling.
The gameplay was unlike anything I'd played before. Moving your characters around a board as if you were playing a game of chess with environmental advantages/disadvantages and RPG elements was so beyond my skill at that age. The class and weapon system allowed so much customization. Mixing and matching abilities and weapons from certain classes could literally break the game in the same way using cheats would. It felt like such an overwhelming sandbox of potential.
The rereleased version sub titled "The War of the Lions" has basically replaced this original version of the game on all store fronts. But I feel it's voiced 3D animated cutscenes removed a lot of the charm the in game graphics and text boxes had even though the gameplay is exactly the same. I'd recommend this version over that one any day.
Another fav
É o tal Game of thrones dos jogos, mas com muito grind
clássico, jogava muito no meu antigo PC fodido Intel dual core 2gb ram
masterpiece
GOAT
This game is the gold standard for the strategy RPG genre. It's the best in its class, still yet to be topped, and an absolute must play for anyone who enjoys RPGs or strategy games. To this day, I haven't played an SRPG I've enjoyed more than this one. This game makes it into my Top 5 Greatest Games of All Time list.
This game has it all - challenging, strategic gameplay, multiple different job classes and party customization, in-depth battle mechanics, diverse battle grids/areas, etc.
For a first time SRPG player back in the 90's, this game routinely kicked my ass throughout... but in a good way. :) It pushed me to try different tactics, party layouts, and just learn the game in-and-out about how it works. This game is dense in its gameplay, and it will take you a while to learn all of its intricacies. It also taught me a valuable lesson of keeping multiple saves, so you don't find yourself in an unwinnable situation (staring at you Wiegraf...).
I remember being haunted by Dorter Trade City, Golgorand Execution Site, Lionel Castle, the Wiegraf 1v1 and the 2nd part of that battle as a kid. There were other challenging battles as well, but these ones stay burned in my memory. The feeling of joy I felt when finally conquering them was euphoric. Don't be scared off by the challenge, however. If you learn the game properly, you can get through it. As an adult now, and understanding the game much more than I did as a child, I find myself dabbling in some modded versions that increase the game's difficulty even further.
The game is just fun - and I think a lot of that has to do with its job system and the quick nature of its battles. Each battle is usually comprised of 4-5 units on your team vs the 4-6 enemy units (there are instances where this changes though).
For players that want to break FF Tactics, it gives you plenty of options there too. Experimentation with the character classes is great, and I won't spoil some of the more OP job mixtures.
So that's enough about gameplay - next up I'd like to focus a little time on the game's story and music.
I'd consider FF Tactics to have the most mature storyline of any FF game to date. It essentially was Game of Thrones before GoT made it big (I know, the first book was released less than a year before the game, but you get my point). The game's tone, heavily political backdrop, and story with major themes in class warfare & religious dogma, create this very well constructed and believable world of Ivalice. And for those that dig under the surface, you can read up on the history of this world in the game to get an even greater appreciation for the game's setting and writing.
And its music fits this world and its tone perfectly. From its sweeping epic battle songs, to more somber character pieces, this game has it all. Some of my favorites would have to include: Trisection, Antipyretic, Delita's Theme, Battle on the Bridge, and Attack Team.
Also, I think the game's sound effects are a highly underappreciated part of the game, but everything just fits well: in my mind I can hear the character's death screams, weapon attacks, spell sounds, cursor noise, etc.
All in all, this game is a masterpiece. I still hold out hope for a true sequel to the series 20+ years after release...hell, I'll even take a War of the Lions remastered version on all platforms at this point. Just give me some SRPG goodness within the world of Ivalice, Square-Enix!!!
This game has it all - challenging, strategic gameplay, multiple different job classes and party customization, in-depth battle mechanics, diverse battle grids/areas, etc.
For a first time SRPG player back in the 90's, this game routinely kicked my ass throughout... but in a good way. :) It pushed me to try different tactics, party layouts, and just learn the game in-and-out about how it works. This game is dense in its gameplay, and it will take you a while to learn all of its intricacies. It also taught me a valuable lesson of keeping multiple saves, so you don't find yourself in an unwinnable situation (staring at you Wiegraf...).
I remember being haunted by Dorter Trade City, Golgorand Execution Site, Lionel Castle, the Wiegraf 1v1 and the 2nd part of that battle as a kid. There were other challenging battles as well, but these ones stay burned in my memory. The feeling of joy I felt when finally conquering them was euphoric. Don't be scared off by the challenge, however. If you learn the game properly, you can get through it. As an adult now, and understanding the game much more than I did as a child, I find myself dabbling in some modded versions that increase the game's difficulty even further.
The game is just fun - and I think a lot of that has to do with its job system and the quick nature of its battles. Each battle is usually comprised of 4-5 units on your team vs the 4-6 enemy units (there are instances where this changes though).
For players that want to break FF Tactics, it gives you plenty of options there too. Experimentation with the character classes is great, and I won't spoil some of the more OP job mixtures.
So that's enough about gameplay - next up I'd like to focus a little time on the game's story and music.
I'd consider FF Tactics to have the most mature storyline of any FF game to date. It essentially was Game of Thrones before GoT made it big (I know, the first book was released less than a year before the game, but you get my point). The game's tone, heavily political backdrop, and story with major themes in class warfare & religious dogma, create this very well constructed and believable world of Ivalice. And for those that dig under the surface, you can read up on the history of this world in the game to get an even greater appreciation for the game's setting and writing.
And its music fits this world and its tone perfectly. From its sweeping epic battle songs, to more somber character pieces, this game has it all. Some of my favorites would have to include: Trisection, Antipyretic, Delita's Theme, Battle on the Bridge, and Attack Team.
Also, I think the game's sound effects are a highly underappreciated part of the game, but everything just fits well: in my mind I can hear the character's death screams, weapon attacks, spell sounds, cursor noise, etc.
All in all, this game is a masterpiece. I still hold out hope for a true sequel to the series 20+ years after release...hell, I'll even take a War of the Lions remastered version on all platforms at this point. Just give me some SRPG goodness within the world of Ivalice, Square-Enix!!!
Played the double-JP hack w/ the WOTL script, on my Anbernic RG353P. And mostly on fast-forward. So I just blew through this! And it was nice to reexperience the last two thirds of this game, as this is one I frequently restart, but rarely get deep into.
This time, I dug deep. I did it all - but once I hit that wide open final chapter, where I could've done the deep dungeon or this, or that, I decided to just blast through the ending. Done. Over.
And again - it was better than I remembered, but not as good as I hoped it would be? Does that make sense?
This time, I dug deep. I did it all - but once I hit that wide open final chapter, where I could've done the deep dungeon or this, or that, I decided to just blast through the ending. Done. Over.
And again - it was better than I remembered, but not as good as I hoped it would be? Does that make sense?
Final Fantasy Tactics was the previous holder of George's Favorite Final Fantasy of All Time until I played Final Fantasy IX, but being second best is still pretty good, and man, it was a hell of a run. Tactics is an excellent game, one that I think remains unrivaled by other tactical RPGs to this day. I've played some of the Ogre games and the Tactics' sequels, as well as stuff like The Banner Saga, and nothing quite compares.
I also play this game like a total psychopath, grinding random battles during the prologue chapter in order to make sure every member of my squad has at least one job mastered. I can usually do this by gaming just a couple of battles, inflicting grievous acts of harm on my own troops in order to build character. JP gains by a thousand cuts. By the time I'm on chapter 2 I've got a full fleet of chemists chucking elixirs and knights that can easily slay their enemies in a single blow, but instead break every piece of their armor systematically in order to cause the maximum amount of torment before death.
Perhaps somewhere along the way I've lost sight of the "tactical" part of Final Fantasy Tactics, opting to dominate through raw numbers, but I don't care. I'm still having a good time. At least until I get to Wiegraf. Easily one of the most sadistic moments in gaming, pitting you one-on-one against a foe who can easily put you into a corner where two strikes will kill you, and who doesn't afford you enough distance to break out of a cycle of perpetual healing. I've always trained Ramza as a ninja to compensate, since their two-strike ability definitely gives him an edge, with auto-potion as a passive ability for extra protection. However, if you don't already have knowledge of the Wiegraf fight then it's entirely possible to softlock yourself here, as this battle comes right off the heels of another. If you save inbetween (as the game gives you the option to do), there's no way to go back to the world map to grind experience. You're just dead in the water. It's a little funny then that you unlock Cid not too long after this fight, because even if you aren't rolling with an over-leveled party, this guy kinda breaks the whole game in your favor. Tactics is not balanced by any metric, and this unevenness is probably its greatest weakness.
There's a bunch of named characters you can unlock through sidequests, and I always do these once they're available, even if I might not use them in battle (except for Cloud.) Maybe that has something to do with me wanting to wring as much as I can out of Final Fantasy Tactics, but I also genuinely love the character interactions in this game. The story is one of the more complicated narratives in a Final Fantasy, with enough intrigue and back-stabbing to make your head spin. The climax, Ramza's fate, and the post-credit scene have stuck with me in particular. It also seems like it was localized by someone who has suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries, so it might take a few passes before you pick up on everything. That is if you don't play War of the Lions, the PSP remake, which features a new translation along with other improvements. This is probably the best version of the game to play, but for some reason Square refuses to make it available on modern consoles (and given the quality of some of their modern ports, maybe that's for the best.)
Despite a few shortcomings, I'm still rating Tactics pretty highly, because I can't deny how much fun I have with it. Mixing and matching job abilities to create the ultimate hybrid class, sending troops out on treasure hunts and recon missions, pouring over team formations tailored to specific encounters, all of it just sucks me in. The characters, lore, and world of Ivalice are just the icing on top. If you enjoy tactical RPGs or Final Fantasy and have yet to play Tactics then obviously I think you should check it out, but I would also suggest spending a little extra time getting a PSP emulator up and running so you can play War of the Lions.
I also play this game like a total psychopath, grinding random battles during the prologue chapter in order to make sure every member of my squad has at least one job mastered. I can usually do this by gaming just a couple of battles, inflicting grievous acts of harm on my own troops in order to build character. JP gains by a thousand cuts. By the time I'm on chapter 2 I've got a full fleet of chemists chucking elixirs and knights that can easily slay their enemies in a single blow, but instead break every piece of their armor systematically in order to cause the maximum amount of torment before death.
Perhaps somewhere along the way I've lost sight of the "tactical" part of Final Fantasy Tactics, opting to dominate through raw numbers, but I don't care. I'm still having a good time. At least until I get to Wiegraf. Easily one of the most sadistic moments in gaming, pitting you one-on-one against a foe who can easily put you into a corner where two strikes will kill you, and who doesn't afford you enough distance to break out of a cycle of perpetual healing. I've always trained Ramza as a ninja to compensate, since their two-strike ability definitely gives him an edge, with auto-potion as a passive ability for extra protection. However, if you don't already have knowledge of the Wiegraf fight then it's entirely possible to softlock yourself here, as this battle comes right off the heels of another. If you save inbetween (as the game gives you the option to do), there's no way to go back to the world map to grind experience. You're just dead in the water. It's a little funny then that you unlock Cid not too long after this fight, because even if you aren't rolling with an over-leveled party, this guy kinda breaks the whole game in your favor. Tactics is not balanced by any metric, and this unevenness is probably its greatest weakness.
There's a bunch of named characters you can unlock through sidequests, and I always do these once they're available, even if I might not use them in battle (except for Cloud.) Maybe that has something to do with me wanting to wring as much as I can out of Final Fantasy Tactics, but I also genuinely love the character interactions in this game. The story is one of the more complicated narratives in a Final Fantasy, with enough intrigue and back-stabbing to make your head spin. The climax, Ramza's fate, and the post-credit scene have stuck with me in particular. It also seems like it was localized by someone who has suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries, so it might take a few passes before you pick up on everything. That is if you don't play War of the Lions, the PSP remake, which features a new translation along with other improvements. This is probably the best version of the game to play, but for some reason Square refuses to make it available on modern consoles (and given the quality of some of their modern ports, maybe that's for the best.)
Despite a few shortcomings, I'm still rating Tactics pretty highly, because I can't deny how much fun I have with it. Mixing and matching job abilities to create the ultimate hybrid class, sending troops out on treasure hunts and recon missions, pouring over team formations tailored to specific encounters, all of it just sucks me in. The characters, lore, and world of Ivalice are just the icing on top. If you enjoy tactical RPGs or Final Fantasy and have yet to play Tactics then obviously I think you should check it out, but I would also suggest spending a little extra time getting a PSP emulator up and running so you can play War of the Lions.
The job system really makes the game for me, it introduces a lot of depth into the game and allows for unique job combinations that really suit your playstyle. What hurts this game, so much, though are the random encounters. Why they felt the need to include that along with difficulty spikes that meant you absolutely HAD to go out of your way to grind, I will never understand.
I actually really don't like the latter half of this story ;__; immmmmmaculate vibes on this game tho
My opinion on this version of the game isn't the same compared to the War of the lions version due to how confusing the translation script was. But the story is still the same, more or less, and it is still one of the greatest stories ever told in a video game.
It is still a near perfect game and one of the best final fantasy games to ever made, it's just not the best version of FFT in my honest opinion.
It is still a near perfect game and one of the best final fantasy games to ever made, it's just not the best version of FFT in my honest opinion.
This review contains spoilers
mixed feelings about this one. it's very beautiful, map verticality adds both immense visual appeal and an extra tactical layer, the mechanics are cool to explore and exploit in a similar way as ff5's are, and i do think delita's entire tragic trajectory all the way until the final cutscenes is an extremely well-crafted story...
but the original translation blows chunks, characters besides ramza and delita kind of rotate in and out making it very clear that they're not really the ones that matter, and the ancient evil that the church is keeping under wraps is just not really well integrated with the political intrigue, so these two plots (and whatever's going on with mustadio and his optional dungeon) end up fighting for screentime. in the end, neither of them feels like it really mattered.
i do think the final impression of "none of this really mattered" is a strength in a story about the grand machinations of nobles and priests, and that it's to some degree what we're expected to take away from this; a somber and bitter counterpoint to delita's ambition to rise from his humble origins to the highest positions in the land.
it's certainly not unintentional either that most of the events and characters responsible for the direction the plot takes are just constantly offscreen, somewhere in the lofty halls of power, in a parallel to the true history of ivalice being something that's buried and out of reach that ramza only stumbles onto by chance.
the game is full of these conspicuous little chance encounters and crossings of paths -- especially important is ramza running into orlan or orran or whatever the astrologian kid's name is. a friend of mine feels that the point being made is about fate or inevitability; i don't necessarily think so, but it's definitely a theme.
however, living in the future year 2022, and with the benefit of future sight into further ivalice games, it's clear that some of this stuff is just bungled. there's a limit to how much of the story you can have happen offscreen before i completely stop caring about it; and ramza, outside of his family business with his brothers, is less of a character than a leaf in the wind. alma and ovelia just get george rr martined, each in her own way, and while it's clearly meant to compound the tragedy, there's a lot to say about the suffering of women being a cheap medieval fantasy cheat code for gravitas -- and in the end, i do think it's delita who we're meant to think of as the tragic antihero, not ovelia (i feel vindicated in this reading by, of all things, the ivalice raids in ff14, where ovelia doesn't even survive as a footnote).
i do think it's a hugely better story on the whole than ff12, anyway.
but the original translation blows chunks, characters besides ramza and delita kind of rotate in and out making it very clear that they're not really the ones that matter, and the ancient evil that the church is keeping under wraps is just not really well integrated with the political intrigue, so these two plots (and whatever's going on with mustadio and his optional dungeon) end up fighting for screentime. in the end, neither of them feels like it really mattered.
i do think the final impression of "none of this really mattered" is a strength in a story about the grand machinations of nobles and priests, and that it's to some degree what we're expected to take away from this; a somber and bitter counterpoint to delita's ambition to rise from his humble origins to the highest positions in the land.
it's certainly not unintentional either that most of the events and characters responsible for the direction the plot takes are just constantly offscreen, somewhere in the lofty halls of power, in a parallel to the true history of ivalice being something that's buried and out of reach that ramza only stumbles onto by chance.
the game is full of these conspicuous little chance encounters and crossings of paths -- especially important is ramza running into orlan or orran or whatever the astrologian kid's name is. a friend of mine feels that the point being made is about fate or inevitability; i don't necessarily think so, but it's definitely a theme.
however, living in the future year 2022, and with the benefit of future sight into further ivalice games, it's clear that some of this stuff is just bungled. there's a limit to how much of the story you can have happen offscreen before i completely stop caring about it; and ramza, outside of his family business with his brothers, is less of a character than a leaf in the wind. alma and ovelia just get george rr martined, each in her own way, and while it's clearly meant to compound the tragedy, there's a lot to say about the suffering of women being a cheap medieval fantasy cheat code for gravitas -- and in the end, i do think it's delita who we're meant to think of as the tragic antihero, not ovelia (i feel vindicated in this reading by, of all things, the ivalice raids in ff14, where ovelia doesn't even survive as a footnote).
i do think it's a hugely better story on the whole than ff12, anyway.
Actually one of the best Final Fantasy games, up there with my favorite in the mainline series. The gameplay is excellent, requiring actual strategy & planning even in the random battles, but without feeling too taxing. The job system is great, and it's fun to find what combinations can work well together. The story is interesting, but this version of the game is marred by a terrible translation that's chock full of awkward wording, typos, and inconsistent names. I'll definitely revisit this on the PSP to see how its newer translation fares.