Game Debate #82: Final Fantasy Tactics

[Reed Rothchild | 9,545]

[Jeevan | 8,912]

This is an amazing game   sorry for the 10, but I mean, the first of its kind that I found as a kid.  I remember the year my brother brought it home when he was at college, needless to say, I spent that summer playing it and trying to figure out everything about it, picking up the strategy guide shortly after.

[docile tapeworm | 4,200]

It’s the only game from the ff franchise that I like. And I like it a lot.

i never got good enough to finish it. But I have a copy.

[RH | 4,908]

I too gave it a 10.  It's the best, non-mainline Final Fantasy game and it's better than most of those.  Certainly in the top 3 PS1 titles on my list and it easily makes my top 10 games of all time.

Like @Jeevan, this was the first game I'd played like this with strategy on a 3D/isometric grid, but Squaresoft really nailed it.  I was pulled in by the story and I loved the job system.  Not as good as Xenogears but on the right day I might argue it's as good as Final Fantasy VII.

[TDIRunner | 2,742]

I always wanted to try it.  I'm a HUGE Vandal Hearts fan, and I've been told that means I would probably enjoy this game as well.  I've owned it for a while, but haven't had a chance to try it.  

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

Never could get into grid based SRPGs, though I've tried a few, this one included. I understand that FFT is among the better ones out there.

[Gloves | 11,790]

Honestly I could never get into it. There's a single main story mission pretty early on which relies so heavily on grinding xp and/or RNG that it turns me off the game every time I hit it. In an SRPG this slow you really don't want to be forced into level grinding, especially not early on when the character skillsets are minimal. 

The story stands up to any others of its genre, but unfortunately the gameplay leaves me wanting. 

The first and so far only classical style SRPG that I've actually enjoyed enough to finish, mind you, is Jeanne D'Arc on the PSP. I can't seem to enjoy this genre, so that doesn't help. Even Fire Emblem I can't get into at all. 

[Deadeye | 1,596]

I don't know how many games I gave a perfect score to, but it wasn't many.  10/10!  Loved it in 1998 and still love it today.  It has some minor issues, but nothing that I would knock off a point for.  For replays, the slow crawling text in cut scenes being the worst , I may use this patch the text time, which allows you the speed up that text. 

I'll close with one word of advice, have two staggering saves.  If you only have one, and take up the offer to save between sequential battles, you can lock yourself into an unwinnable position (being under leveled or ill equipped for the next battle).

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Funny this popped up, as i am playing FFtactics advance right now because of how amazing the analogue pocket is. Love srpgs but hard to put the time in, curious to see others thoughts. I have a copy but never played it. 

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

42 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Honestly I could never get into it. There's a single main story mission pretty early on which relies so heavily on grinding xp and/or RNG that it turns me off the game every time I hit it. In an SRPG this slow you really don't want to be forced into level grinding, especially not early on when the character skillsets are minimal. 

The story stands up to any others of its genre, but unfortunately the gameplay leaves me wanting. 

The first and so far only classical style SRPG that I've actually enjoyed enough to finish, mind you, is Jeanne D'Arc on the PSP. I can't seem to enjoy this genre, so that doesn't help. Even Fire Emblem I can't get into at all. 

Jeanne D’arc is criminally under appreciated. 

[Gloves | 11,790]

16 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

Jeanne D’arc is criminally under appreciated. 

I dunno what it is about it that pushed it into enjoyable territory for me personally, but I blasted through it and played the heck out of the post-game too. I couldn't put it down on my first playthrough.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

It's a really fun game, but I was never able to finish it. Solid 8/10 though.

[MagusSmurf | 577]

best story, best class and ability system, best SRPG (says the guy who hasn't played that many SRPGs)

best-worst localization even. Gave us some pretty memorable good lines and even the parts that were bad were sometimes funny. Dycedarg's Elder Brother, l i t t l e m o n e y, etc. also algus superior GET OUT with that ARGATH nonsense.

Edited December 30, 2021 by MagusSmurf

[fox | 1,667]

2 hours ago, TDIRunner said:

I always wanted to try it.  I'm a HUGE Vandal Hearts fan, and I've been told that means I would probably enjoy this game as well.  I've owned it for a while, but haven't had a chance to try it.  

This is an easy recommendation if you enjoyed VH and are looking for something similar 

[fox | 1,667]

1 hour ago, Deadeye said:

I'll close with one word of advice, have two staggering saves.  If you only have one, and take up the offer to save between sequential battles, you can lock yourself into an unwinnable position (being under leveled or ill equipped for the next battle).

^This.  The act 3 boss is brutal, and it is part of a two part fight.  So if you were like me and saved after the first part, you had no way to go back to the main map to level or gear up.

I was able to gameshark my way out, but this tainted my playthru a bit.  Fantastic game still.

[TDIRunner | 2,742]

28 minutes ago, fox said:

This is an easy recommendation if you enjoyed VH and are looking for something similar 

I've always wanted to find something similar since the sequel to VH was pretty disappointing for me.  

[Tanooki | 4,934]

Another into the solid game but got nowhere near finishing it scenario, and it's the GBA remaster/port of it no less which added a lot of extra mission content.  The genre I do not like, but there are exceptions, like the first and N64 Ogre Battle, original Nectaris, some Fire Emblem exposure, the first Advance Wars, and then THIS.  FF gave it a unique touch having the known classes and terrains from the staples of the series set down pretty much with the Nintendo years and it was great.  What got me was just I'm not into a game that will largely take months if not a year to finish and having it be that game for me, because splitting time is a kiss of death on a title like this and I never by the time it arrived had those hours to commit that much.  The added layers of the classes and then each having multiple skills and spells that individually rank up as well by using them was a bridge too far.  I could go largely into other games that just had the one layer of complexity like Ogre Battle and FIre Emblem quite a bit more hours because it was like rock paper scissors, but FFT is like rock paper scissors and the entire magic(red, white, blue, black, etc)+skill tree(jump, kick, punch) stuff FF introduced over time.

[docile tapeworm | 4,200]

3 hours ago, Deadeye said:

 

I'll close with one word of advice, have two staggering saves.  If you only have one, and take up the offer to save between sequential battles, you can lock yourself into an unwinnable position (being under leveled or ill equipped for the next battle).

 

1 hour ago, fox said:

^This.  The act 3 boss is brutal, and it is part of a two part fight.  So if you were like me and saved after the first part, you had no way to go back to the main map to level or gear up.

I was able to gameshark my way out, but this tainted my playthru a bit.  Fantastic game still.

Lol I’m glad I’m not the only one. No game shark for me I just gave up.

Edited December 30, 2021 by docile tapeworm

[MagusSmurf | 577]

The GBA game is a different game entirely, not a port.

That one's okay I guess.

[Makar | 1,946]

I feel like I need to finally play through the ones I have - gba, ds, psp

[Hammerfestus | 3,852]

Easy 10.  One of my all time very favorite games.  One of the best games on the PlayStation.  I’ve sank a lot of hours into this one on multiple playthroughs.  

[Reed Rothchild | 9,545]

2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

GBA remaster/port

That was a sequel.  And a very different game in some ways.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,545]

I've always had the opposite problem of some of you guys.  After a brutal early game, if you're pursuing all of the secret gear, and powering up all the special knights, the late game is absurdly easy as you lay waste to everyone.  Orlandu could probably solo most of the game.

[NostalgicMachine | 236]

8/10 for sure. I enjoyed the GBA entry quite a bit!

[Renmauzo | 1,201]

FFT is in my top 5 of all time and an easy 10 for me.

This was the first PS1 game I ever bought to go with the console. I chose this over FFVII, and it was all from a one page add in EGM. Something about what I saw and read resonated with me - a gut feeling - that I couldn't shake over the course of the weekend I had to make my choice.

I couldn't afford a memory card when I got the system and game, so I replayed the first few hours over and over for 2 weeks until pay day came around again (my parents had borrowed all my money for bills), and I didn't care: I was hooked.

I love the mechanics, the job combinations, the gorgeous graphics, and of course...the incredible story, lore and characters. Sociopolitical strife in the middle ages just fascinates me when done right.

I maxed out the clock on this game. I maxed out every job class on every character and got them to level 99 in this game. I found every weapon and summon in this game. If there were platinum trophies back then, I would have earned it. While the PSP version - War of the Lions - is the definitive way to play, this masterpiece was born on the PS1 and is - in my mind - cemented as one of the all time greats for being complex and accessible, memorable and emotionally impactful all at once. 

Yasumi Matsuno has become one of those names that I see and make the purchase blind. From Ogre Battle to Tactics Ogre, FFT and eventually Vagrant story (to name a few), it all started once upon a time when I fell in love with Final Fantasy Tactics.

Edited December 31, 2021 by Renmauzo