Release Date: June 20, 1997
Developer: Square Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Co., Ltd.
(EDIT: the artwork was changed after several astute gamers noticed – and I didn’t! – that the artwork I originally used was for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA, not the original. I blame laziness – and plus, the artwork was pretty. Thanks to Daniel Monserrat form The Gaming Experience, DK Solidgoomba from United Gamers by Fate!!!, and Mark Nicherson, Jr, from AWESOME GEEK HEADQUARTERS – among others – for setting me straight. I appreciate it.)
For a period of about 15 years, Japanese developer and publisher SquareSoft went on a gaming release spree that made gamers’ heads spin. It started in 1987 with Final Fantasy for the NES and ended in 2001 with the release of Final Fantasy X on the PlayStation 2, the last game in the main series anyone considered “good” before Final Fantasy XV. In between those years, they releasedsome of most iconic, most loved video games ever released. Their most revered games were arguably released on the SNES and PlayStation, with Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII topping most gamers’ favorite lists.
(I prefer Final Fantasy III for the US more than VII. That may be an unpopular opinion, but I stand by it.)
Among the deluge of awesome SquareSoft titles was Final Fantasy Tactics for Sony’s first console. It’s a strategy role-playing game that deviates completely from the Final Fantasy JRPG formula. In many ways, it can be seen as a game that borrows the Final Fantasy name but is not a true game in the series. I seem to think, however, that it may be the best game to ever brandish the series’ name.
The setting for Final Fantasy Tactics is the kingdom of Ivalice. The main protagonist is Ramza Beoulve, a cadet who finds himself embroiled in a conflict dubbed The Lion War. After the death of the king, Ivalice was split up between two princes, Prince Large the White Lion and Prince Goltana the Black Lion. These two princes war with each other, and Ramza is told that he plays a major, but unknown, role in the war. He and his childhood friend, Delita Heiral, must embark on a quest to find out what role he plays in this mess.
As players guide Ramza through Ivalice, they help him recruit other characters. These characters are characterized by their jobs. These jobs define how characters will perform in battle. A person who is a Cleric, for example, will use holy magic to help heal allies. An enemy Arc Knight, meanwhile, works against an allied group by damaging their morale. This game’s job system is an expanded version of the system in Final Fantasy V that is very deep, allowing many tactical options depending on your group makeup and the abilities of enemies. Touching on even basic job strategies can easily take up this entire article.
The story is also very good. You will travel across most of Ivalice, advancing the plot via combat and conversations. The story is an intriguing one. While searching for his purpose, Ramza and his party unravel plot threads involving the warring factions and former enemies and friends. Even the church plays a role, as they seem to be involved in a dirty plot that involves stoking the flames of war for their own ends.
Combat is handled using a grid system common to older military strategy games like Fire Emblem and Vandal Hearts, as well as later titles like Rainbow Moon. The combat is turn-based per side. Each friendly or enemy unit has a limited number of moves and actions, and a side’s turn ends when either they end their turn prematurely or exhaust all their units’ actions and movements. Terrain affects movement, so crossing mountains or other rough terrain will limit some units’ number of moves. Since units move upon a square grid, it’s possible to flank enemies or catch them from behind. Units who are attacked from the side or rear make more damage than units who face their opponents. Add the variables that jobs add to tactics and you have a game that is incredibly rich strategically.
Another thing you end up with is a game that will do its best to pound players into a thick puddle of goo. This game’s difficulty ramps up quickly, going from managing small groups of units to massive engagements. Your troupe is frequently outnumbered, and the enemy AI will use every advantage they can manage to outmaneuver you and attack without mercy. The Fire Emblem series is known for its brutal difficulty, but Final Fantasy Tactics seems to take that difficulty as a dare. Be prepared for endless bouts of frustration.
Usually, strategy RPGs like these focus their graphical presentation on making it easy to spot terrain variations and unit types. Final Fantasy Tactics goes next-level on their visuals. All the friendly and enemy units are very detailed. Later on, you will come across specialty units, some from previous Final Fantasy games. All of their character models are lovingly rendered, looking like 16-bit sprites that have come to life in a 3D space. Terrain variances are easily identified and can usually be avoided. Control of the units is simple, and the use of items or special abilities is painless. The isometric 3D perspective gives you a complete view of the battleground.
In other words, you can’t blame the game’s controls, visuals, or menus for the ass-whooping you’re going to receive.
I attempted a new playthrough for this review. Thirty minutes in, I was envisioning this article containing nothing more than paragraph after paragraph of me screaming, “FUCK THIS GAME!” I persevered, however, trying new tactics in an attempt to sway battles in my favor. Winning battles feels like a real accomplishment, and it’s that feeling I used to egg myself deeper into the game.
The game’s soundtrack also made it extremely easy to keep playing. This was the height of SquareSoft’s powers. During this period, all their games had legendary soundtracks. This game’s soundtrack was penned by Hitoshi Sakimoto, whose talents grace other classics such as Ogre Battle 64, Vagrant Story, and the bullet hell masterpiece Radiant Silvergun. He was joined by Masaharu Iwata, another noted composer who worked on games in the SoulCalibur and Suikoden series, both of which had amazing scores.
Does it still hold up? Absolutely! Final Fantasy Tactics is a game that will beat you like a rented mule, but is loads of fun for strategy game aficionados. As much as I love Vandal Hearts and Fire Emblem, it’s this series that is tops for me.
Thankfully, there are several ways to enjoy this game today. In addition to the original PlayStation version, there was port for the PSP and a spinoff, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, for the Game Boy Advance. Ports of the original also exist for the PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, and iOS devices. However you choose to play it, I guarantee that if you’re a strategy game nut, you will have an awesome time.
Good: Beautiful visuals; deep strategy via jobs system; phenomenal score; strong story
Bad: The difficulty curve spikes hard and often
Final score: 9/10
