Final Fantasy Tactics>(almost) all
 

I didn't like the game at first because I thought it was too slow-paced, but I'm really starting to enjoy it. The only REAL complaint is that it's so damn complex that it's extremely off-putting at the start. The job system is complex. The skill system is even more complex. The battle machincs even more complex yet :)

If you want to hit someone with a projectile attack, you better make sure everyone else is out of the way. If you are careless and let a character die and don't revive him right away, he's gone FOREVER, even if you've spent the whole game leveling him up. the game is deep. Much much deeper than most.

If you have the time and are a fan of traditional RPGs, I suggest trying it out. It might just broaden your horizons. Besides, it can be found for likr $15 on the PS1, so you can hardly go wrong.

I back up this recommendation, Final Fantasy Tactics is an awesome game.

FFT is easily in my top 5 games of all time. I've beaten it several times and it never gets old.

Just as a matter of... well something...

I HAVE to recommend a game to you all if you liked Final Fantasy Tactics. The entire game of FFT is basically a mod of the Japanese game "Tactics Ogre". Aside from cosmetic differences and changes in the game structure, the two games are exactly alike. Currently, there is an English version availible on the GBA. It is not a port, but just a completely new volume in the, so far, 5 part "Ogre" mythos.

This was one of the few games I actually played all the way through a second time. Even though the story is often too complex to understand, the battles are fun and the amount of customization makes for an enjoyable second run through the game.

I've played through this game like five times by now. It's probably the only game I once in a while from the PS1 days, other than Suikoden and Xenogears.

Yup, FFT rocks. Before you get to the last boss of Chapter 3 (I think it's Wiegraf), make sure Ramza has the Chemist ability "Auto-Potion" and you throw out all your regular potions, leaving only Hi-Potions or X-Potions.

I had to start my game all over the first time because there was no way I could beat him, and nowhere for me to level up my characters (although the first half of the fight is 1-on-1). It pissed me off to no end, but I started over and beat it the second time through.

If you want a laugh, read all the badly translated english that Professor Daravon spews out in the 'Tutorial' section. Or the gibberish that your characters say after ther get back from 'Jobs'

'Truly this mission was a gift from God'

'I got a good feeling'

2 things:

Tactical RPGs aren't a "mod" of Tactics Ogre anymore than sidescrollers are a mod of Mario 1 or 2D shooters are a mod of Gradius or Space Invaders. It's just another genre. I personally prefer FF Tactics over any other tactical RPG I've played because of the job and skill system. After every battle I was checking to see how much JP I earned to see if there was anymore skills or spells I could learn.

Secondly, several games in the Tactics Ogre series have been released. If memory serves there was two on the SNES, but only 1 of the 2 came to America. There's one on the N64 as well, and lastly, the GBA one. Knights of Lodis.

Spleen edit: Ooops, hit "Edit" instead of "Quote". No changes have been made to what was written.

FFT is easily in my top 5 also. Personally the job system/story that everyone complains is to complex, is simply because the game will appeal to certain people who enjoy that sort of thing. The Ogre series was the same.

Umm, madcow, you missed the point of what I was talking about. Let me try to make it a little more clear. If you can, try to find a game review site, that covers both American and Japanese games. If you can't, just find a review for any of the "Tactics Ogre" or "Ogre Tactics" games. Study what it says about gameplay. Then, look at Final Fantasy Tactics. The Final Fantasy theme was plastered over the Ogre theme. Heck, Square licensed the Tactics Ogre game system from Atlus, the developers of Tactics Ogre. So I'm not really sure why you thought I was pigeon-holing the entire Tactical genre as a mod.

Ogre games (In no particular order):
Ogre Tactics: The Knight of Lodis (Tactics/GBA)
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (Army/N64)
Tactics Ogre (Tactics/PS1)
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen (Army/SNES)
Legends of Ogre Battle Gaiden: Prince of Zenobia (Army/NeoGeo)

Final Fantasy Tactics is by far my favorite Final Fantasy game, and one of my favorite all time games. Its just so great.

I also hear that they are in the works of Final Fantasy Tactics 2. Anyone else know anything about this?

Yes for release possibly 4th quarter this year or 1st quarter next year. It will be for the GBA, and will not have anything to do with the previous. In fact it will start off in the "Real World"

The only problem I have with FFT is actually the random encounters. The set missions are cool, but why do I have to constantly fight wolves and goblins, etc etc.. If there was a way to avoid them, or make them alot quicker, I'd love it even that much more

Spleen, I myself write for a reletively large gaming outlet :) I'm very familiar with the Tactics Ogre series. Well maybe that's a slight overstatement, b/c I've only played the two original titles.

I guess I'm still missing your point. You say the FF theme was plastered all over the Ogre series' theme, but what IS the FF theme? They don't have reoccuring music, characters, worlds, etc. Some make claims that the FF series has always dealed with a planet being in danger and a group of people's potentially "Final" effort to save it, but the same could be said of almost all RPGs. The official line is that the FF series deals with the themes of life and death, in different backdrops and situations, but I think it's a load of bull personally :)

I have this game. I got some knights with monk skills and some other stuff and they're just insane powerful, beat it a while ago, hard game.

I love this game... I hated it at first, but I really started to enjoy it after I found out how to make my guys more powerful and how to change the classes and stuff.

madcow -

Well, I write for TFP!!! yeah... anyway ;)

Final Fantasy plastered all over the Tactics game-setup:
1) Character jobs and costumes are lifted directly from Final Fantasy versions 1 though 6.
2) Chocobos
3) Magic - their names and their effects
4) Mithril/Mythril/Mythrill
5) Cid/Cyd/Sid/Syd

Among other things. ;)

The game was pretty good as I remember. I thought it was too easy though after you get that knight guy in your party. He had that attack that made the (ice?) fall from the sky in 3 spots.

Once I beat it and went back and got cloud I stopped, just got too repetitive.

The classes and skills are right from FFV, and FFIX uses the armor and weapons from FFT, which was about the only good part of FFIX.

I played it right after FF7, and thought it was totally lame. My tastes have matured some, so I think I'll give it another shot

Really? i thought it would come out for like the ps2 or something. Thats cool though i will definitely be buying it for the GBA.

Yeah you can actually find a couple articles with some early screen shots up around the web at various gaming sites.

FFT Advance is on the cover of the latest Nintendo Power.

I saw the game at E3 and I was impressed. The game doesn't appear too graphically different from the PSX version.

I got a copy of the Japanese Version of Final Fantasy Advance.

It really does look good for a GBA title. Just remember that everything is sprite based, so don't look forward to amazing fluid animations. The battle system is almost -read ALMOST- exactly like the PS version. Changes have been made though, with the removal of some of the character definition systems (elements and the like). Definitely made more simple so people are not scared off by the sheer scope of the game system. Good stuff. :D

FFT is definitly a sweet game i've got a copy of FFT advanced but i dont' read the japanese so well i'll need to wait till my GF gets back from japan. the original is the sole source of many a wasted day.

FFT is probably the best console game i have ever played. Tactics Ogre is another great game you should try.

Final Fantasy Tactics is incredible. One of the more amazing parts of the game is its ASTOUNDING soundtrack. Ranked up there with Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Trigger with soundtracks.

-Lasereth

Agreed one of the few game soundtracks I actually bought very well done.

I love FFT too, though I never have enjoed tactics ogre. I don't know quite why, but I never have. But yah, as soon as FFTA comes out I am gonna get a GBA so I can play it =).

awsome soundtrack. definitly pushed the ps one to the max. i enjoyed almost every track.

its great to see people who also love this game. Lots of people i know hate the game because it doesnt have awesome graphics and its "too long and confusing".

The game is just amazing.

Tactics is definately worth playing.~

i loved the sacraligious elements buried in the game. the jesus parralel was very disturbing when it turned out the guy might have had demons as his appostiles. very crazy. of course thats up in the air since the poor game was so poorly translated it coule have ment anything by the implications. What do you guys think? where they demons or just that people who got the stones were intrinsicly evil?

if anyone is looking for details on the FFT story that you might have missed due to bad translations check this out

http://zone.square-haven.com/games/ps/fft/guide/story/

I hear this a lot, but most people who do give it a second chance, or even have the inclination to try it again, usually love it like burning.

Its top 3 for me, I can't wait for the GBA game to come out.

Excellent, excellent game... Insanely hard at times, but so very very fun when you defeat the stages that are tricky.

I'll be buying this for GBA next month (September) when it is released.

Omg FFT for GBA? I'm stoked.

hooray for the GBA! I'm just finishing up the Ogre Tactics game.