Oh, yeah, since I also tried the original one to see the differences...and, no, friends would still recommend WotL for absolutely better reason.
Here's the thing: the camera doesn't get any better either way. I really can't stand it.
Still plays better than Persona 1.
Here's the thing: the camera doesn't get any better either way. I really can't stand it.
Still plays better than Persona 1.
A beautiful looking game, and a game that comes across as stronger than many of the games inspired by it.
-
The game has a big focus on the diorama aspect of the stages, setting each one up like a little theater scene, and very expressive sprite pantomime acting, leaning in to what gave FF so much identity with the SNES sprites. Characters coming in from offstage and having great characterful animation while a scene plays out on a nicely decorated stage never stopped charming me, and I think it’s one of the games greatest strengths.
The music really grew on me too, I’d heard it out of context before and never felt much for it, but it ends up fitting the game well.
The writing is also remarkably terse and effective compared to all the purple-prose-choked scripts that plague every game inspired by it. The main story itself is mostly standard fantasy beats but the execution is confident and compelling, only somewhat hampered by the awkward translation (though it’s still perfectly readable outside very optional backstory menus). The game also ends very strong, I was very impressed with that final scene, just great stuff.
-
The game has a big focus on the diorama aspect of the stages, setting each one up like a little theater scene, and very expressive sprite pantomime acting, leaning in to what gave FF so much identity with the SNES sprites. Characters coming in from offstage and having great characterful animation while a scene plays out on a nicely decorated stage never stopped charming me, and I think it’s one of the games greatest strengths.
The music really grew on me too, I’d heard it out of context before and never felt much for it, but it ends up fitting the game well.
The writing is also remarkably terse and effective compared to all the purple-prose-choked scripts that plague every game inspired by it. The main story itself is mostly standard fantasy beats but the execution is confident and compelling, only somewhat hampered by the awkward translation (though it’s still perfectly readable outside very optional backstory menus). The game also ends very strong, I was very impressed with that final scene, just great stuff.
Jogo da Vida, jogo novamente pelo menos uma vez por Ano! façam um Remake completo, plz, nunca pedi nada...
Fantastic on every level, started my fetish for multi classing/class switching in games.
O meu jogo favorito por grande parte da minha vida.
Apenas o melhor jogo que joguei no Play1
Delita <3
Delita <3
Best Job system in FF history, ppl say this game is good and ur like yea whatever but it is rlly that good. No Tactics-like game has outdone since
Since the fans this one love making up fake quotes so much, let me contribute: “My name is Ramza Beoulve and the game I’m in fucking sucks. Also, I just shit my pants.”
This review contains spoilers
This review will have me looking things up, and will be influenced by both English releases, as well as my failing memories, aided by outside information. Skip the next two paragraphs, u won't. Skip the third one, too. Skip a lot of them. I gush towards the end. This isn't coherent and becomes decidedly less so as I go on. No drafts. Just a descent into madness as I go without sleep. I promise it's wordy, but very surface level. The third part is full of spoilers as I just list random stuff.
{I} Chapter 1: Chapter One
{II} Detailed gameplay
{III} Things I (dis)like. Yeah.
{IV} References
{I} Chapter 1: Chapter One (This is about the general synopsis and characters and story of Chapter 1)
Final Fantasy Tactics, written by Matsuno Yasumi (given name second), which has been officially localized into English twice. Michael Baskett was the Director of Localization[1] for the PlayStation script (though not necessarily the one to translate)[2]; and Joseph Reeder and Tom Slattery are credited as translators for the PlayStation Portable script. Although I credit these people, there is an assumption that there were a team of people, and getting different people to work together to get a project going takes some tact. The final results haphazardly put together are but the dreams of others we carry on. Yes, I'm shoving a "Final Fantasy Tactics" pun into this.
I was potentially a tween when I played Final Fantasy Tactics. For better or worse, my older sisters decided to get Final Fantasy VIII specifically for me prior to that, and Tekken 2 was our Tekken at home. I have never asked them why they thought I would like it. They had waned interest in video games by then, dedicated more to school life. I had also gotten my own translucent purple GameBoy Color, which came with Pokémon Red Version from Costco. You can tell by this backstory that this isn't merely a review on the game.
By the time I had played FFT, I had gotten used to the idea of role-playing games. But Final Fantasy Tactics? It happened to be played on a topographic grid made of squares. I had played other RPGs before, but this game didn't have walking—not in the traditional sense. Overworld movement includes a 4-directional input, but followed predetermined paths that grew as the map was filled; and battle movement, also determined in a 4-directional input, was limited by a unit's innate allotted movement (move), as well as allotted height (jump). This change in gameplay was new to me, and opened up how I saw RPGs. The closest I could connect this to were board games, but board games have standardized boards with equivalent pieces for both players—The ones I grew up with did, at least. This was a different way to play games. I had understood platformers well, and had been exposed to them, as well as shooters, thanks to arcade games. But this game? This game? You wouldn't find it in arcades.
This game starts you off with a snippet of a plot to kidnap a princess, with you playing as Ramza Beoulve. (Tangent: Kid me thought that that surname was influenced by Beowulf, except there is a character named "Beowulf" in the game. Their names are distinctly different in Japanese.) Ramza is the only controllable character in the tutorial, and as a tutorial, the equipment doesn't truly affect the outcome when you eventually reach to that point of the story again. It takes luck and effort to lose the tutorial[3], so the devs intended you to learn the basics as you went on. For many, one of the best lines in 90s video games comes after the end of that battle, and they both hold their weight in different ways. After said scene, we get a flashback, showing us how Ramza came to be.
Sadly, for many, the battle immediately after is where the game's difficulty spikes too high. I've come to agree that it is not beginner-friendly. You aren't taught about how characters act through water, nor do you realize that your limited pool of (curative) items is shared among the party. If you've never played a Final Fantasy game, you may not even know what they do. The water in the middle also almost acts as a trap for your players, and the foe you face has thieves on literal rooftops. If there's one thing tactics RPGs don't easily convey, it's strategy. They don't tell you how to capitalize on an opponent who you've pulled from the pack. They don't teach you the advantages of the very ground you walk on. They don't tell you about the heights you must climb, and how positioning can turn an ally into a literal obstacle. At least, Final Fantasy Tactics doesn't convey that well. And yet...
That first non-tutorial battle captures that feeling for Ramza as well. He's not even fresh out of the academy (Akademy in the newer script) when these brigands have come to your campus of learning to kill you and everything your name stands for. Ramza, the neophyte of war, is engaged in his first battle to determine whether he has what it takes to make it. The introduction had already informed us of the 50 Year's War prior, whose victors have received praise and notoriety. This new war Ramza is about to be thrust into? It's The War of the Lions, as two of the key political figures run a black lion, as well as a white lion, on their banner. But that first non-tutorial battle mentioned earlier? That was about the common folk-turned thieves who've resorted to ne'er-do-well activities after the land had been ravished by the previous war. Not everyone views the noble class as worthy. But Ramza isn't interested in the class he was born into. He's interested in not dying! That first skirmish tests his mettle. The very first chapter (of four chapters) is spent in this flashback to Ramza's cadet years as he slowly learns his place in the world, and how his relatively privileged life has both sheltered him from some truths, and given him insight in the world.
If we dive deeper, we can see Ramza's friends and family during this period, and how they shape him. Ramza's best friend, Delita, was born to commonfolk. Him and his sister lost their parents early to disease and were raised by the Beoulves. Ramza never treated them different for their class distinction, and this exposure was part of that impactful growth. His little sister, Alma, befriended Delita's little sister, Teta/Tita/Tietra. There's a significant enough age gap between Ramza and his older brothers, Dycedarg and Zalba(a)g. We later see Zalba(a)g's character unfold, but he does view Ramza as a true brother, despite being a half-sibling from a non-noblewoman. Zalba(a)g's conflict is a duty of his noble privilege and to that of his family. Ultimately, he is here to save face and uphold the status quo. On the other hand, Dycedarg, has no such emotional attachments and is here to uphold the status quo.
Chapter 1 being a flashback to warmer memories also leads to viewing the game in a somewhat warmer light. Sure, goblins, panther-sized cats, ostrich-sized birds, living fireballs, horned skeletons, etc. roam the land, but they're a bit of a nuisance. Or a huge threat if you're still getting used to tactics and the asymmetry of units. You'll have to learn the system enough, because it is still being lenient. But with that said, the third story battle introduces us to another noble-born.
Algus in the PS1 script, Argath in the PSP script, this seemingly hapless character negatively impacts the story for the greater. As an aside, my first experience with him did involve some of the worst RNG where he happened to die before I could even feasibly reach him. What a timeline that would have been to live in! To say his role in the arc of chapter 1 is gutwrenching wouldn't be seliing it properly. The worst part is that you can't even say he backstabbed you. He was always upfront in his role in the story. He was truly an ignoble-born through and through. But. His family had been disgraced two generations higher, and they were never able to live it down. Even Argus was caught within their faulty system. Algath, ever the pawn, but a well-written one to contrast another character whose noble heritage initial obscures their treatment in the world they live in. It still doesn't excuse アルガス.
The story grows from there. The class-based system is corrupt, and the religion pushes it to its extreme. Is this an RPG where you kill god? In a sense. Is this deity a giant space flea out of nowhere? No, that's a different Final Fantasy trope. But I wanted to get into that first chapter in more depth than it needed to say that I really enjoyed the story. It goes deeper in its plot, and I am in awe of the writing. Even with the first game's flaws and relatively rushed translation job, it hits important emotional beats that have stuck with me. And maybe its narrative has shaped me more than the gameplay itself. My bias in loving this old tactics RPG is for the writing, and the gameplay was a packaged deal.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
{II} Detailed gameplay
I enjoy tactics RPGs. I'm not amazing at them. I've played a decent amount. Consider it part of the console generation I grew up with, but comparisons to Final Fantasy Tactics is the shorthand I have to go with, no matter how wildly different games are. That said, this gameplay isn't without its flaws. The angle they present the isometric view is limited. You can rotate the camera, and you can even tilt the angle. It's not always the best.[4] Objectively speaking, the PS1 version has several bugs.[5]
That said, game feel is what is important. Final Fantasy Tactics uses a job system, which lets your characters become archetypal roles. Most of the early jobs correlate to the first classes in the first Final Fantasy game. Your squire, a base class, can be equated to a warrior; The knight class requires some squire knowledge, making it akin to the job leveling in that first game; Thief allows for higher movement and evasion at the cost of attack and defense, opting to steal a target's equipment or other various effects; Wizard is coded to be the series' black mage—a class that specializes in offense through the game's magic stats, including the "faith" modifier, at the cost of physical attack and physical defense; Priest is the white mage—a class specializing in curative abilities and defensive buffs, also at the cost of physical attack and physical defense; and Monk, equivalent to the FF1 monk class (sometimes localized as black belt) whose equipment is limited in lieu of beneficial all-rounder skills.
What some familiar with FFI may have noticed is my lack of inclusion of FFI's red mage. FFT allows characters to use another job as a secondary. Red mages in FFI were an amalgamation of warrior, black mage, and white mage, being decently equipped and having access to spells. There isn't a dedicated red mage job. That said, FFT allows for a character to access a second job with skills they know while using their primary job's stats and equipment. This leads to a higher degree of customization.
What FFT fans may notice is that I also didn't mention all of the early game classes. For instance, chemists in the game are the class to build into other magic classes. They allow for the use of items, which includes throwing them further than other units. They have abilities that can protect against thieves, as well as an ability to pick up hidden treasure. Finally, they have access to the gun weapon. Unfortunately, guns aren't readily available in early game, but they have the longest horizontal range in a straight line and do (relatively) fixed damage. In lieu of guns for early game, physical attackers have archers for range. They can wield crossbows, as well as bows. Crossbows have a significantly limited range and don't arc, meaning they don't necessarily shoot over obstacles. That said, they can be paired with shields, and some of them cause status effects.
Going off that, the status effects in FFT have viable uses for strategies throughout various playstyles. Statuses like silence can utterly debilitate a unit, enemy and foe alike, denying access to skills. There are statuses that stop you from moving, or acting, or decreasing your "faith", or even becoming a chicken. Equipment is a form of preventative measure, and others are from affecting someone else's stats. If you happen to use a monster unit, they can naturally avoid certain statuses.
Along with statuses, the game uses a rock-paper-scissors system attached to a character's zodiac. Different zodiacs behave differently to each other. The in-game date also affects a unit's stat bonuses. Although the mechanic isn't quite hidden, it's not one a casual player such as myself will delve into, adding more RNG to the system. This RNG is what adds to the thrills of moves that connect or not. The game displays these percentages, so you can make an informed decision on whether or not you want to use a move. That said, the percentage of landing a hit is a separate calculation from a shield blocking an attack, whose calculations aren't immediately revealed to the player.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
{III} Things I (dis)like. Yeah.
Things I like:
I want to mention less dry and guide-like mentions. Just things I like. You can ride chocobos! You can also get a boost from larger units to go up and down places! The game has really cute pigs. Casually, monks go BRRR! and you can go pretty far with them. I brought Mustadio to the final fight and he was vital to my victory at the time, you don't always need Cid. Also Cid is broken, please buff. Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII is in both versions. Balthier from Final Fantasy XII is in the PSP version! You can also get Luso Clemens from Final Fantasy Tactics: A2 in the PSP version~! The PS1 version is easy to cheese with the JP Scroll Glitch. The PSP version allows for a dark knight and onion knight class! The PSP version has multiplayer, in both versus and co-op missions! Worker 8 (Construct 8) has a BEEG laser, and is also a said BEEG unit you can use as a stepladder of sorts! Innocent status means Worker 8 is immune to magic, so you can trade blows from afar! The Calculator Job doing whatever it wants is great. Killing Algus is great on PS1. Killing Argath again on the PSP was cathartic. He's the absolutely most despised villain in the franchise. Dragon Reis. Also Reis hitting a monster so hard with a purse, they join our party! I actually enjoyed using geomancers, and having fun is just as important! I haven't ONCE mentioned the music, but that soundtrack is so catchy and emotional! I love the sound of bows being pulled, but repurposing it in cutscenes for pulling people feels so visceral for me. Having ridiculously high speed and just stripping an opponent of their valuables. Pushing someone down a cliff. Pushing someone down a cliff onto someone. Pushing someone down a cliff onto someone against a wall. Pushing someone down a cliff onto a pile of others as the game tries to figure out where to place everyone as they bounce around, taking damage. Agrias. :3
Things I don't like:
Algus. Argath. Percentages not matching with the perceived feel. After doing a bunch of convoluted sidequest requirements, you get Cloud at level 1. The original game allowed a total of 16 units, limiting monster farming a bit. Also, monsters constantly breeding. Rafa/Rapha and Malek having RNG tied to their job-specific classes, because I really think they're a cool story addition. As fun as riding chocobos is, bringing a chocobo in, filling a slot. I probably wouldn't be able to handle the speed of the game. I don't hate the camera angles as much as others, but when they're bad, they're bad. Choosing monster units to poach, only for RNG to summon the horde (The horde is not worth poaching).
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
{IV} References:
[1]https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2154602/ (Michael Baskett)
[2]https://j-entranslations.com/translation-chat-16-stephen-meyerink-chats-about-final-fantasy-tactics-the-war-of-the-lions/ (Stephen Meyerink, hosted by Jennifer O'Donnell)
[3]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOewqwA1Wto (Evandro Anselmo)
[4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUKLkxQaQVE (Ulillillia)
[5]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urTo_43pK8U (Ulillillia)
{I} Chapter 1: Chapter One
{II} Detailed gameplay
{III} Things I (dis)like. Yeah.
{IV} References
{I} Chapter 1: Chapter One (This is about the general synopsis and characters and story of Chapter 1)
Final Fantasy Tactics, written by Matsuno Yasumi (given name second), which has been officially localized into English twice. Michael Baskett was the Director of Localization[1] for the PlayStation script (though not necessarily the one to translate)[2]; and Joseph Reeder and Tom Slattery are credited as translators for the PlayStation Portable script. Although I credit these people, there is an assumption that there were a team of people, and getting different people to work together to get a project going takes some tact. The final results haphazardly put together are but the dreams of others we carry on. Yes, I'm shoving a "Final Fantasy Tactics" pun into this.
I was potentially a tween when I played Final Fantasy Tactics. For better or worse, my older sisters decided to get Final Fantasy VIII specifically for me prior to that, and Tekken 2 was our Tekken at home. I have never asked them why they thought I would like it. They had waned interest in video games by then, dedicated more to school life. I had also gotten my own translucent purple GameBoy Color, which came with Pokémon Red Version from Costco. You can tell by this backstory that this isn't merely a review on the game.
By the time I had played FFT, I had gotten used to the idea of role-playing games. But Final Fantasy Tactics? It happened to be played on a topographic grid made of squares. I had played other RPGs before, but this game didn't have walking—not in the traditional sense. Overworld movement includes a 4-directional input, but followed predetermined paths that grew as the map was filled; and battle movement, also determined in a 4-directional input, was limited by a unit's innate allotted movement (move), as well as allotted height (jump). This change in gameplay was new to me, and opened up how I saw RPGs. The closest I could connect this to were board games, but board games have standardized boards with equivalent pieces for both players—The ones I grew up with did, at least. This was a different way to play games. I had understood platformers well, and had been exposed to them, as well as shooters, thanks to arcade games. But this game? This game? You wouldn't find it in arcades.
This game starts you off with a snippet of a plot to kidnap a princess, with you playing as Ramza Beoulve. (Tangent: Kid me thought that that surname was influenced by Beowulf, except there is a character named "Beowulf" in the game. Their names are distinctly different in Japanese.) Ramza is the only controllable character in the tutorial, and as a tutorial, the equipment doesn't truly affect the outcome when you eventually reach to that point of the story again. It takes luck and effort to lose the tutorial[3], so the devs intended you to learn the basics as you went on. For many, one of the best lines in 90s video games comes after the end of that battle, and they both hold their weight in different ways. After said scene, we get a flashback, showing us how Ramza came to be.
Sadly, for many, the battle immediately after is where the game's difficulty spikes too high. I've come to agree that it is not beginner-friendly. You aren't taught about how characters act through water, nor do you realize that your limited pool of (curative) items is shared among the party. If you've never played a Final Fantasy game, you may not even know what they do. The water in the middle also almost acts as a trap for your players, and the foe you face has thieves on literal rooftops. If there's one thing tactics RPGs don't easily convey, it's strategy. They don't tell you how to capitalize on an opponent who you've pulled from the pack. They don't teach you the advantages of the very ground you walk on. They don't tell you about the heights you must climb, and how positioning can turn an ally into a literal obstacle. At least, Final Fantasy Tactics doesn't convey that well. And yet...
That first non-tutorial battle captures that feeling for Ramza as well. He's not even fresh out of the academy (Akademy in the newer script) when these brigands have come to your campus of learning to kill you and everything your name stands for. Ramza, the neophyte of war, is engaged in his first battle to determine whether he has what it takes to make it. The introduction had already informed us of the 50 Year's War prior, whose victors have received praise and notoriety. This new war Ramza is about to be thrust into? It's The War of the Lions, as two of the key political figures run a black lion, as well as a white lion, on their banner. But that first non-tutorial battle mentioned earlier? That was about the common folk-turned thieves who've resorted to ne'er-do-well activities after the land had been ravished by the previous war. Not everyone views the noble class as worthy. But Ramza isn't interested in the class he was born into. He's interested in not dying! That first skirmish tests his mettle. The very first chapter (of four chapters) is spent in this flashback to Ramza's cadet years as he slowly learns his place in the world, and how his relatively privileged life has both sheltered him from some truths, and given him insight in the world.
If we dive deeper, we can see Ramza's friends and family during this period, and how they shape him. Ramza's best friend, Delita, was born to commonfolk. Him and his sister lost their parents early to disease and were raised by the Beoulves. Ramza never treated them different for their class distinction, and this exposure was part of that impactful growth. His little sister, Alma, befriended Delita's little sister, Teta/Tita/Tietra. There's a significant enough age gap between Ramza and his older brothers, Dycedarg and Zalba(a)g. We later see Zalba(a)g's character unfold, but he does view Ramza as a true brother, despite being a half-sibling from a non-noblewoman. Zalba(a)g's conflict is a duty of his noble privilege and to that of his family. Ultimately, he is here to save face and uphold the status quo. On the other hand, Dycedarg, has no such emotional attachments and is here to uphold the status quo.
Chapter 1 being a flashback to warmer memories also leads to viewing the game in a somewhat warmer light. Sure, goblins, panther-sized cats, ostrich-sized birds, living fireballs, horned skeletons, etc. roam the land, but they're a bit of a nuisance. Or a huge threat if you're still getting used to tactics and the asymmetry of units. You'll have to learn the system enough, because it is still being lenient. But with that said, the third story battle introduces us to another noble-born.
Algus in the PS1 script, Argath in the PSP script, this seemingly hapless character negatively impacts the story for the greater. As an aside, my first experience with him did involve some of the worst RNG where he happened to die before I could even feasibly reach him. What a timeline that would have been to live in! To say his role in the arc of chapter 1 is gutwrenching wouldn't be seliing it properly. The worst part is that you can't even say he backstabbed you. He was always upfront in his role in the story. He was truly an ignoble-born through and through. But. His family had been disgraced two generations higher, and they were never able to live it down. Even Argus was caught within their faulty system. Algath, ever the pawn, but a well-written one to contrast another character whose noble heritage initial obscures their treatment in the world they live in. It still doesn't excuse アルガス.
The story grows from there. The class-based system is corrupt, and the religion pushes it to its extreme. Is this an RPG where you kill god? In a sense. Is this deity a giant space flea out of nowhere? No, that's a different Final Fantasy trope. But I wanted to get into that first chapter in more depth than it needed to say that I really enjoyed the story. It goes deeper in its plot, and I am in awe of the writing. Even with the first game's flaws and relatively rushed translation job, it hits important emotional beats that have stuck with me. And maybe its narrative has shaped me more than the gameplay itself. My bias in loving this old tactics RPG is for the writing, and the gameplay was a packaged deal.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
{II} Detailed gameplay
I enjoy tactics RPGs. I'm not amazing at them. I've played a decent amount. Consider it part of the console generation I grew up with, but comparisons to Final Fantasy Tactics is the shorthand I have to go with, no matter how wildly different games are. That said, this gameplay isn't without its flaws. The angle they present the isometric view is limited. You can rotate the camera, and you can even tilt the angle. It's not always the best.[4] Objectively speaking, the PS1 version has several bugs.[5]
That said, game feel is what is important. Final Fantasy Tactics uses a job system, which lets your characters become archetypal roles. Most of the early jobs correlate to the first classes in the first Final Fantasy game. Your squire, a base class, can be equated to a warrior; The knight class requires some squire knowledge, making it akin to the job leveling in that first game; Thief allows for higher movement and evasion at the cost of attack and defense, opting to steal a target's equipment or other various effects; Wizard is coded to be the series' black mage—a class that specializes in offense through the game's magic stats, including the "faith" modifier, at the cost of physical attack and physical defense; Priest is the white mage—a class specializing in curative abilities and defensive buffs, also at the cost of physical attack and physical defense; and Monk, equivalent to the FF1 monk class (sometimes localized as black belt) whose equipment is limited in lieu of beneficial all-rounder skills.
What some familiar with FFI may have noticed is my lack of inclusion of FFI's red mage. FFT allows characters to use another job as a secondary. Red mages in FFI were an amalgamation of warrior, black mage, and white mage, being decently equipped and having access to spells. There isn't a dedicated red mage job. That said, FFT allows for a character to access a second job with skills they know while using their primary job's stats and equipment. This leads to a higher degree of customization.
What FFT fans may notice is that I also didn't mention all of the early game classes. For instance, chemists in the game are the class to build into other magic classes. They allow for the use of items, which includes throwing them further than other units. They have abilities that can protect against thieves, as well as an ability to pick up hidden treasure. Finally, they have access to the gun weapon. Unfortunately, guns aren't readily available in early game, but they have the longest horizontal range in a straight line and do (relatively) fixed damage. In lieu of guns for early game, physical attackers have archers for range. They can wield crossbows, as well as bows. Crossbows have a significantly limited range and don't arc, meaning they don't necessarily shoot over obstacles. That said, they can be paired with shields, and some of them cause status effects.
Going off that, the status effects in FFT have viable uses for strategies throughout various playstyles. Statuses like silence can utterly debilitate a unit, enemy and foe alike, denying access to skills. There are statuses that stop you from moving, or acting, or decreasing your "faith", or even becoming a chicken. Equipment is a form of preventative measure, and others are from affecting someone else's stats. If you happen to use a monster unit, they can naturally avoid certain statuses.
Along with statuses, the game uses a rock-paper-scissors system attached to a character's zodiac. Different zodiacs behave differently to each other. The in-game date also affects a unit's stat bonuses. Although the mechanic isn't quite hidden, it's not one a casual player such as myself will delve into, adding more RNG to the system. This RNG is what adds to the thrills of moves that connect or not. The game displays these percentages, so you can make an informed decision on whether or not you want to use a move. That said, the percentage of landing a hit is a separate calculation from a shield blocking an attack, whose calculations aren't immediately revealed to the player.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
{III} Things I (dis)like. Yeah.
Things I like:
I want to mention less dry and guide-like mentions. Just things I like. You can ride chocobos! You can also get a boost from larger units to go up and down places! The game has really cute pigs. Casually, monks go BRRR! and you can go pretty far with them. I brought Mustadio to the final fight and he was vital to my victory at the time, you don't always need Cid. Also Cid is broken, please buff. Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII is in both versions. Balthier from Final Fantasy XII is in the PSP version! You can also get Luso Clemens from Final Fantasy Tactics: A2 in the PSP version~! The PS1 version is easy to cheese with the JP Scroll Glitch. The PSP version allows for a dark knight and onion knight class! The PSP version has multiplayer, in both versus and co-op missions! Worker 8 (Construct 8) has a BEEG laser, and is also a said BEEG unit you can use as a stepladder of sorts! Innocent status means Worker 8 is immune to magic, so you can trade blows from afar! The Calculator Job doing whatever it wants is great. Killing Algus is great on PS1. Killing Argath again on the PSP was cathartic. He's the absolutely most despised villain in the franchise. Dragon Reis. Also Reis hitting a monster so hard with a purse, they join our party! I actually enjoyed using geomancers, and having fun is just as important! I haven't ONCE mentioned the music, but that soundtrack is so catchy and emotional! I love the sound of bows being pulled, but repurposing it in cutscenes for pulling people feels so visceral for me. Having ridiculously high speed and just stripping an opponent of their valuables. Pushing someone down a cliff. Pushing someone down a cliff onto someone. Pushing someone down a cliff onto someone against a wall. Pushing someone down a cliff onto a pile of others as the game tries to figure out where to place everyone as they bounce around, taking damage. Agrias. :3
Things I don't like:
Algus. Argath. Percentages not matching with the perceived feel. After doing a bunch of convoluted sidequest requirements, you get Cloud at level 1. The original game allowed a total of 16 units, limiting monster farming a bit. Also, monsters constantly breeding. Rafa/Rapha and Malek having RNG tied to their job-specific classes, because I really think they're a cool story addition. As fun as riding chocobos is, bringing a chocobo in, filling a slot. I probably wouldn't be able to handle the speed of the game. I don't hate the camera angles as much as others, but when they're bad, they're bad. Choosing monster units to poach, only for RNG to summon the horde (The horde is not worth poaching).
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
{IV} References:
[1]https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2154602/ (Michael Baskett)
[2]https://j-entranslations.com/translation-chat-16-stephen-meyerink-chats-about-final-fantasy-tactics-the-war-of-the-lions/ (Stephen Meyerink, hosted by Jennifer O'Donnell)
[3]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOewqwA1Wto (Evandro Anselmo)
[4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUKLkxQaQVE (Ulillillia)
[5]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urTo_43pK8U (Ulillillia)
Esse jogo inspirou muitos RPGs táticos de sua geração!
Best caracteristic of the game:
1. The game gives you complete freedom to how a party unit would function, so much freedom that it can make the notion of a party useless for you, needing only this one character even with him at the same level of the enemy party. This, by default, also gives you complete control of how your party will funcion for you, or how it will not function. Other tactics games implemented the notion of "races" to limit the number of classes your units can be, prioritizing the management of the party and hurting the management of the individual unit; in those cases the "party" becomes the character. That is why this one still feels so superior in comparison to the GBA and NDS ones, because one single unit can have and can be everything.
Good characteristics of the game:
1. Story;
2. The fact that combat takes into consideration the speed of the character and not the turn of the player;
3. This game doesn't function like one player and its units against other plater (the CPU) and its units, the enemy plays like he is a real character. For example: monsters don't sacrifice themselves in order to defeat your party, if a monster is low on health, he will run, even thought it seems obvious to sacrifice this unit to hurt your party. This happens because monsters plays like real living beings, not wanting to die, and not like pieces in a chess board played by one mastermind. This seems like a small feature, but those kind of small things adds to the experience.
Bad things about the game:
1- Low effort by the CPU in arming their human units, both in terms of skills and equipment.
1. The game gives you complete freedom to how a party unit would function, so much freedom that it can make the notion of a party useless for you, needing only this one character even with him at the same level of the enemy party. This, by default, also gives you complete control of how your party will funcion for you, or how it will not function. Other tactics games implemented the notion of "races" to limit the number of classes your units can be, prioritizing the management of the party and hurting the management of the individual unit; in those cases the "party" becomes the character. That is why this one still feels so superior in comparison to the GBA and NDS ones, because one single unit can have and can be everything.
Good characteristics of the game:
1. Story;
2. The fact that combat takes into consideration the speed of the character and not the turn of the player;
3. This game doesn't function like one player and its units against other plater (the CPU) and its units, the enemy plays like he is a real character. For example: monsters don't sacrifice themselves in order to defeat your party, if a monster is low on health, he will run, even thought it seems obvious to sacrifice this unit to hurt your party. This happens because monsters plays like real living beings, not wanting to die, and not like pieces in a chess board played by one mastermind. This seems like a small feature, but those kind of small things adds to the experience.
Bad things about the game:
1- Low effort by the CPU in arming their human units, both in terms of skills and equipment.
Probably my #1 game of all time
Final Fantasy Tactics is dearly beloved for a lot of reasons by many, still subject to modding and new character builds every so often. It's simply good, from the flow of combat to the great storyline and character development. It ticks many boxes, from customizing your team to actually giving you the means to break the game - and be broken. The game is unfair at times, but I can't really hold it against it since it's very open about it. Not only that, but the game is beautiful, the sprites are colorful and detailed, stages and cutscenes look incredible and thanks to great sound, both soundtrack and design, immersion is guaranteed. What I can tell you that I don't like is the uneven difficulty curve, the way progression is handled (looking at you, Wiegraf) and random encounters not being fair, but it's small things I reckon.
Simply put, I love this game, it came to me as a revelation, it made me realize that videogames could tell stories, good ones at that. They could mean something more than simple entertainment. I don't recommend the PSP port for several nitpicky reasons, but if you can you should get The Lion War and other mods from the boys, gals and meteor chugging chocobos at ffhacktics dot com.
Simply put, I love this game, it came to me as a revelation, it made me realize that videogames could tell stories, good ones at that. They could mean something more than simple entertainment. I don't recommend the PSP port for several nitpicky reasons, but if you can you should get The Lion War and other mods from the boys, gals and meteor chugging chocobos at ffhacktics dot com.
I'm a big fan of action games, in fact that's about the only type of game I really enjoy playing whereas I can't for the life of me get into RPGs. Yet I adore Final Fantasy Tactics and its clones. There's a reason for that that I noticed right away and it's Final Fantasy Tactics being an action game in tactics form. In fact there isn't much tactics going on in FFT, 99% of the time you'll give orders based on instincts and feeling rather than thought. There's a real tactile quality to FFT and it comes from multiple sources: the aesthetics, the small maps and rosters, the brutal "kill or be killed" approach to combat and its overall flow, the powerful spells and abilities, the customization and the grounded and gritty narrative elements.
Where other TRPGs put a stronger emphasis on puzzle-oriented scenarios, FFT likes getting into the thick of it and channel the pugilistic qualities of the battles it illustrates, it's very compelling in that regard, and while it is a simpler and more straightforward game compared to many other TRPGs of that era, I think it works to its advantage. To me it does anyway.
Where other TRPGs put a stronger emphasis on puzzle-oriented scenarios, FFT likes getting into the thick of it and channel the pugilistic qualities of the battles it illustrates, it's very compelling in that regard, and while it is a simpler and more straightforward game compared to many other TRPGs of that era, I think it works to its advantage. To me it does anyway.
This game would be perfect if the difficulty was redone I think. Battles have huge difficulty spikes and trying new jobs is very hard. That said, the music and storytelling and sprite animation all combine together to make an incredible world. The only Ogre Battle game with chocobos.
The one thing bad in this game is only one ending not more than one like "Tactics Ogre"!
Best tactic RPG ever! one of my TOP favorite games!
Um dos únicos final fantasy que consegui realmente jogar. Jogo excelente.
Got stuck on one of the tutorial battles - skill issue
Vai ser um dos melhores jogos que joguei depois do final
Hay un personaje que se llama TETA .....jajaja Teta, falta uno que se llame culo. Pero es una obra maestra , anda y jugalo ya. Es una Orden
YES -- 10/10
Played Lion War hack with WotL translation added. Proof job system is the goated gameplay system in FF. Addicting in it's simplicity and freedom. Soundtrack and writing are something else. Not to mention the actual scene direction. Dialogue is not wasted. Pacing is perfect. It is expertly crafted. This kind of attention to detail is so rare in JRPGs.
I love this game and yet I've only ever beaten it once as a kid... and I had to use a Gameshark to do it because I just couldn't grasp a lot of its mechanics at the time. One day I will finally play through this game whole game legit.
Also this game has the best implementation of the FF Job system.
Also this game has the best implementation of the FF Job system.
I used to hit a wall with this game ALL THE TIME when I was like 15. Early on I think I just didnt get the advantage or chemist over knights and spent my money on equipment vs potions only to end up getting my ass handed to me by every set of mages.
Thankfully, I am no longer a teenager and was able to beat a lot of this game between subway rides and quickly began to enjoy the rich story and mechanics. I did do a really dumb thing tho and tried to grind for the dark mage class towards the end on my ps1 emulator without realizing it was a War of the Lions exclusive. Spent way too much time grinding and killing enemies to much confusion. But it did make the deep dungeon and final boss pretty easy breezy, and I got to see all of Cloud’s limits by the end. Another classic squaresoft I now fully get the reputation of.
Thankfully, I am no longer a teenager and was able to beat a lot of this game between subway rides and quickly began to enjoy the rich story and mechanics. I did do a really dumb thing tho and tried to grind for the dark mage class towards the end on my ps1 emulator without realizing it was a War of the Lions exclusive. Spent way too much time grinding and killing enemies to much confusion. But it did make the deep dungeon and final boss pretty easy breezy, and I got to see all of Cloud’s limits by the end. Another classic squaresoft I now fully get the reputation of.
A well done battle system that in many ways paved a path for the genre. The job system, story, and traversal can be a drag however but remains a nice change of pace from the mainline series.
ive tried to get into it multiple times and i just cant. Theres nothing for me to care about story wise because i cant parse anything from it due to me not having my heart fully in it. I feel guilty about not immediately understanding why this is supposed to be a classic game. Gameplay is really good and intricate but i just dont give a shit about Ramza or anyone or anything going on. I dunno man, it sucks because i really love Tactics Advance. Idk what to do. Im sad.
É um excelente jogo com um elenco de personagens interessantes e sistema de jobs bem variado, possui uma história muito bacana e repleta de reviravoltas com uma trilha sonora épica rolando de fundo.
Seria um jogo perfeito ou quase isso, se não fosse QUEBRADO, o jogo tem um balanceamento meio esquisito, com sequências e picos de dificuldades estranhos, existem umas missões bem ridículas, como a de salvar um personagem especifico no telhado que pode morrer simplesmente no primeiro turno do combate, na reta final do jogo, entra um personagem que é tão forte, que se tu colocar ele na party, todo o desafio da reta final fica bem fácil, isso sem contar as várias maneiras que você tem de deixar personagens extremamente fortes por si só.
Seria um jogo perfeito ou quase isso, se não fosse QUEBRADO, o jogo tem um balanceamento meio esquisito, com sequências e picos de dificuldades estranhos, existem umas missões bem ridículas, como a de salvar um personagem especifico no telhado que pode morrer simplesmente no primeiro turno do combate, na reta final do jogo, entra um personagem que é tão forte, que se tu colocar ele na party, todo o desafio da reta final fica bem fácil, isso sem contar as várias maneiras que você tem de deixar personagens extremamente fortes por si só.
Once it was confirmed that the Nintendo 64 would continue to use cartridge-based games instead of the increasingly popular (and significantly cheaper) CDs, it was the turning point that signaled a mass developer exodus from the company that was previously considered the default in video games. One of the most notable splits-and one of the most infamous-was SquareSoft, the company responsible for many NES & SNES renowned series. The team behind Chrono Trigger, the Mana series, and of course, Final Fantasy, was looking for a new home for its next installment in the already iconic franchise. With 3D gaming on the rise, the CD-based Sony Playstation, already a console with a considerable installed base, was the obvious choice. And so, in 1997, less than a year after their final SNES release, Final Fantasy VII released on the PS1. And after that, the floodgates would open; Square would go on to develop over half a dozen for the system in that year alone. And FF7 wasn't the only landmark title; only a few months later, they would release another soon-to-be-iconic game for the system.
Final Fantasy Tactics was one of the first true spinoffs of the legendary series, and it's an impressive first effort to say the least. Produced by Square newcomer Yasumi Matsuno, it was essentially a spiritual successor to the Ogre Battle series. It was stated that the desire for FFT was to create a strategy RPG with an emphasis on class warfare, and by all metrics, it's impossible to call it anything but a tremendous success. The Final Fantasy series is no stranger to convoluted stories and difficult to follow overarching narratives, but while the main series has about as many hits as misses, Tactics is easily one of the best of the franchise. It can't be understated what a feat it is to create a multi-layered, complex, and intricately woven narrative that both keeps the player guessing and also remains easy enough to follow. Deception, double crossing, and secret plots are aplenty here, and it's one of the best games for political intrigue even to this day. Heavily inspired by The War of the Roses, noble families clash while the meager are caught in the crossfire. Class-based struggle is at the heart of FFT, and so much of its dialogue and themes ring truer than ever today, ensuring its status as an eternally relevant game.
And, if you'll pardon the pun, class-based warfare is also what makes this game so fun to play. Each character has 19 potential classes (or jobs) to choose from, including many FF favorites, and they can operate with the skills of a secondary as well. This makes the game incredibly diverse; there's an incredible amount of variety to how you'll plan your squad, what skills you'll give them, and how you might adapt during a potentially difficult battle. This is by no means an easy game, especially for first timers, so you're encouraged to mix and match, try new things, and find a strategy that works for you. It should be said that this game does have a bit of trouble balancing difficulty, as there are quite a few difficulty spikes that seem to have been made with grinding in mind; only playing the story missions will likely leave you quite a bit underleveled at a few times in the story. Grinding is nothing new for the FF series, but it's more palatable in a quick random encounter than it is in a tactics-based game, where each battle can take 5 to 10 minutes. (There might be a few too many battles in the game as it is.)
That being said, the great thing about FFT is that it allows for such a degree of tactical expression that, with the right strategy, every battle feels winnable. Coming up against a difficult battle, losing, and finding an alternative method to win is a truly satisfying feeling, and Tactics is well packed with moments like these. But while it is possible to win any battle with any squad setup, it would be unfair to call them balanced. There are some skills-particularly Math Skills, and the main character's unique skill-which seem purposely made to break the game in your favor. This kind of takes away from the difficulty and thrill of the late game, and leaves the player with an unfortunate choice of intentionally limiting themselves or breezing by most end game battles.
Even still, balancing issues were no stranger to the late 90s, and even with them in mind, Final Fantasy Tactics is a marvelous game, and one of the most interesting tactical RPGs ever made. It's gameplay is enthralling, often encouraging a feeling of "just one more battle, one more try." And it's a testament to its story that despite the mostly excellent strategy, it's the narrative that remains FFT's most compelling and memorable aspect. For fans of medieval intrigue and royal conspiracies, it's an obvious choice. But whether it's the gameplay or narrative that sucks you in, you'll come away with a vast enjoyment of both. And, just like the story of Ramza, Tactics is a reminder that history is always worth revisiting.
Final Fantasy Tactics was one of the first true spinoffs of the legendary series, and it's an impressive first effort to say the least. Produced by Square newcomer Yasumi Matsuno, it was essentially a spiritual successor to the Ogre Battle series. It was stated that the desire for FFT was to create a strategy RPG with an emphasis on class warfare, and by all metrics, it's impossible to call it anything but a tremendous success. The Final Fantasy series is no stranger to convoluted stories and difficult to follow overarching narratives, but while the main series has about as many hits as misses, Tactics is easily one of the best of the franchise. It can't be understated what a feat it is to create a multi-layered, complex, and intricately woven narrative that both keeps the player guessing and also remains easy enough to follow. Deception, double crossing, and secret plots are aplenty here, and it's one of the best games for political intrigue even to this day. Heavily inspired by The War of the Roses, noble families clash while the meager are caught in the crossfire. Class-based struggle is at the heart of FFT, and so much of its dialogue and themes ring truer than ever today, ensuring its status as an eternally relevant game.
And, if you'll pardon the pun, class-based warfare is also what makes this game so fun to play. Each character has 19 potential classes (or jobs) to choose from, including many FF favorites, and they can operate with the skills of a secondary as well. This makes the game incredibly diverse; there's an incredible amount of variety to how you'll plan your squad, what skills you'll give them, and how you might adapt during a potentially difficult battle. This is by no means an easy game, especially for first timers, so you're encouraged to mix and match, try new things, and find a strategy that works for you. It should be said that this game does have a bit of trouble balancing difficulty, as there are quite a few difficulty spikes that seem to have been made with grinding in mind; only playing the story missions will likely leave you quite a bit underleveled at a few times in the story. Grinding is nothing new for the FF series, but it's more palatable in a quick random encounter than it is in a tactics-based game, where each battle can take 5 to 10 minutes. (There might be a few too many battles in the game as it is.)
That being said, the great thing about FFT is that it allows for such a degree of tactical expression that, with the right strategy, every battle feels winnable. Coming up against a difficult battle, losing, and finding an alternative method to win is a truly satisfying feeling, and Tactics is well packed with moments like these. But while it is possible to win any battle with any squad setup, it would be unfair to call them balanced. There are some skills-particularly Math Skills, and the main character's unique skill-which seem purposely made to break the game in your favor. This kind of takes away from the difficulty and thrill of the late game, and leaves the player with an unfortunate choice of intentionally limiting themselves or breezing by most end game battles.
Even still, balancing issues were no stranger to the late 90s, and even with them in mind, Final Fantasy Tactics is a marvelous game, and one of the most interesting tactical RPGs ever made. It's gameplay is enthralling, often encouraging a feeling of "just one more battle, one more try." And it's a testament to its story that despite the mostly excellent strategy, it's the narrative that remains FFT's most compelling and memorable aspect. For fans of medieval intrigue and royal conspiracies, it's an obvious choice. But whether it's the gameplay or narrative that sucks you in, you'll come away with a vast enjoyment of both. And, just like the story of Ramza, Tactics is a reminder that history is always worth revisiting.
The original playstation version has a horrible translation. This turned out to be one of my favorite stories in video games when I went back and watched the War of the Lions versions of the dialogue and cinematics on youtube. That version is almost a perfect game.
My only complaint is that its not a perfect tactics game. It has a lot of interesting ideas and is one of the most fun tactics games, but the exp system just begs to be cheesed and I found myself enforcing artificial rules to not abuse the mechanics to keep the challenge fun.
My only complaint is that its not a perfect tactics game. It has a lot of interesting ideas and is one of the most fun tactics games, but the exp system just begs to be cheesed and I found myself enforcing artificial rules to not abuse the mechanics to keep the challenge fun.