Final Fantasy Tactics Advance--Damn Good Game

John

Ghost of Captain Kidd
Joined
Jun 13, 2001
Posts
1,665
I pre-ordered FFTAdvance (JP) from NCS. My insanity is your gain.

I come to you with a Final Fantasy Tactics Advance review based on my experience with it. I'll try to avoid spoiling the plot, but I'll give an idea of the basic system.

--You are part of a clan. Characters will come to you wishing to be recruited into your ranks, and you will have to face rival clans.

--You can expand your territory.

--Weapons and classes determine skills, race determines class and weapon.

--The music is exquisite for GBA. It actually sounds good. Square should be proud of this work.

--There are the classes that we all know and love; of course, the characters are dressed to play the part. Male White Mages look sort of funny, almost like altar boys (yeah, go ahead, just this once), and of course, moogle Black Mages are funny as well.

--There's a "Judge" system in the battles which determines the rules of engagement. For example, one fight might forbid the use of swords, while another will likely disallow item use. You can be yellow-carded (and fined) or red-carded (and imprisoned) for offenses. Cards can be stricken from your characters' records for money and spending one battle in jail (this is beyond the penalty that brought the carding itself).

--This is not a port of the PSX game. I had to mention that at some point in this assessment, so now is as good a time as any. This is a new game.

--The combat system is sort of like FFT meets FFX, in that there is a predetermined order in which all of the characters--including the Judges--act.

--You can expand your camp through quests, which can take the form of battles or sending somebody in your party to complete an unseen task. Certain quests advance the storyline.

If you understand Japanese, get this game. If not, definitely pick it up when it comes Stateside.
 

Lagduf

2>X
20 Year Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2002
Posts
51,605
Is the US release of this game going to coincided with the US release of the GBA SP?

Me wants this game very much...
 

BakuretsuMutekiSid

Zero's Tailor
Joined
Nov 7, 2000
Posts
574
Didn't read your post cause 1. I can't read Japanese, and 2. Don't want to spoil any of the fun of finding out for myself. :)

It was on top of my game lists the first moment I heard it was going to be released!!
 

IoriYagami n8

Genjuro's Frog
Joined
Apr 19, 2001
Posts
1,137
I don't think much of the Judge system, kind of useless if you ask me. I do like all the different races, classes, ect. Very diverse. It is pretty much exactly as I expected, with the exception being the music, which was amazingly well done I thought. Really suprised me. Golden Sun finally gets something to contend with.
 

IoriYagami n8

Genjuro's Frog
Joined
Apr 19, 2001
Posts
1,137
I was more along the lines of talking about music quality. In which I think Circle of the Moon and Golden Sun have had top billing for when it comes to the GBA. Of course the port of Link to the Past was generally impressive as well, but nothing new.
 

John

Ghost of Captain Kidd
Joined
Jun 13, 2001
Posts
1,665
Lagduf:
Is the US release of this game going to coincided with the US release of the GBA SP?

Me wants this game very much...
I think the GBA SP's coming out in March, so I think FFTA is still a ways off in that respect... too much text to translate in a month X_X
 
S

SAMHAIN

Guest
tactics on ps is one of my all time fave games,i burnt tvs out playin that game..

i might have to pick this one up when it hits
 

FeelGood

So Many Posts
No Time
For Games.
Joined
Aug 18, 2001
Posts
17,794
BakuretsuMutekiSid:
What about Ogre Battle? You meant "Ogre BAttle finally gets something to contend with" right? :D
Tactics Ogre is going to have no competition from the FFTA game. I mean, this whole business of "rules" and silly classes that look like a George Lucas pipe dream have my stomach reeling.

A huge insult to the original if you ask me. But I'll have ot play it and make a final opinion when it comes ot the US.
 

Nick Goracke

I'm still around!?,
Joined
Aug 7, 2001
Posts
2,250
I kinda got bored with Tactics Ogre for it's lack of variety and seemingly 10 year old customization system (absolutely zero complaints with the branching story)... I'm just kind of curious - does FFTA feel like a dumbed down version of FFT? More classes, less classes? More skills, less skills? Variety in mission objectives? Focused story?

Basically, I'm wondering if it does anything to move the series/genre forward, or just provide a "portable alternative".

I'm glad to hear the music is up to par - anyone know off hand who did the score?
 

Shapermc

Mai's Tabloid Photographer
Joined
Mar 14, 2001
Posts
2,131
EvilWasabi
[QBTactics Ogre is going to have no competition from the FFTA game. I mean, this whole business of "rules" and silly classes that look like a George Lucas pipe dream have my stomach reeling.

A huge insult to the original if you ask me. But I'll have ot play it and make a final opinion when it comes ot the US. [/QB]
I completly agree, this honestly sounds stupid. Then again I have not played it, it only sounds stupid.
 

Nick Goracke

I'm still around!?,
Joined
Aug 7, 2001
Posts
2,250
EvilWasabi:
I mean, this whole business of "rules"
I'm all for "rules", but this seems like a ridiculous way to implement it. A judge? At every battle?

If they want to emphasize a balanced party and force you to use different strategies, how about certain areas where fire spells aren't allowed because of damage they might cause, or you need to lighten your baggage (no items) for a quick raid, or magic isn't allowed in a Holy area, or metallic weapons aren't allowed in certain places for fear of detection, or...

I'm not even saying that the new idea won't be fun (variety is good), it just seems like a very, very strange way to go about it...
 

IoriYagami n8

Genjuro's Frog
Joined
Apr 19, 2001
Posts
1,137
That's exactly how it works actually. In the second battle after you win your enemy trys to use an item to heal, but gets a red card from the judge, taken out of the fight, and put in prison. Depending on the area you are in the rules vary. And you can get yellow or red cards depending on how big the offense is.

The combination attack (similar to Chrono Trigger, but more free) is interesting. The story progresses through Quest that you have to take as opposed to simply exploring. There are also extra quest and such to get new items. There are more classes then the original FFT, as well as more races and abilities. The only thing I can really complain about is that so far all the battles I've fought have been easy. In my third battle, my main character could actually drop enemies in one hit, in the second it took me two hits. I certainly hope its just this way at the start to help you get a feel for the game. The theme feels more upbeat then the pervious game, more light hearted.
 

John

Ghost of Captain Kidd
Joined
Jun 13, 2001
Posts
1,665
IoriYagami n8:
That's exactly how it works actually. In the second battle after you win your enemy trys to use an item to heal, but gets a red card from the judge, taken out of the fight, and put in prison. Depending on the area you are in the rules vary. And you can get yellow or red cards depending on how big the offense is.

The combination attack (similar to Chrono Trigger, but more free) is interesting. The story progresses through Quest that you have to take as opposed to simply exploring. There are also extra quest and such to get new items. There are more classes then the original FFT, as well as more races and abilities. The only thing I can really complain about is that so far all the battles I've fought have been easy. In my third battle, my main character could actually drop enemies in one hit, in the second it took me two hits. I certainly hope its just this way at the start to help you get a feel for the game. The theme feels more upbeat then the pervious game, more light hearted.
How are you doing the quests? Because the top ones that tend to be more expensive are usually harder, because you actually have to complete them to advance the plot.
 

John

Ghost of Captain Kidd
Joined
Jun 13, 2001
Posts
1,665
Wee note here: *SPOILER*


The Bomb Quest in the main town is a bitch, because you can't do any attack that will inflict > 20 HP damage or you'll get carded. The system seems to be red if you kill an enemy with the attack, and yellow if you don't. I got two reds and a yellow this way. >_< Damn stat penalties...
 
Top