Mini Review: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Well, this game finally came out for the GBA today after much waiting, and after playing with it a couple hours after work I thought I would write a few words about it. Mostly because this is a fun game that even people who don't like modern games can pick up and enjoy.
For starters, if you're farmilar with Final Fantasy Tactics for the PSX, then you know this game, but it does have some differnet twists and a whole new set of races in it, as well as a new story. It's set in the modern times in the modern, present world -- at least to start.
You play a teenaged boy who has just moved to the town of St. Ivalice with your mother and sickly younger brother. One day at your school you have a snowball fight (which you control a little off, to get you used to the game) and then invite two of your classmates over to your home after. While checking up on your brother, the two come over and one shows all of you a strange old book that he just bought at a local store. It has a lot of pictures, icons, and weird words in it. It reminds one of your friends of the Final Fantasy games.
That night, you go to bed and suddenly wake up to find yourself in a strange town, and you bump into a lizard. He's hostile, but then a moogle comes running out to help you (another intro fight) and then he introduces you to his clan, and the game goes from there.....
As I said above, the game handles and looks like FFT, with some differneces. The story advances by taking missions. Sometimes certain items or conditions are needed for some of the missions. At first, the world of Ivalice is very empty. You can 'place' locations as the game goes on, and if you place them in the right order you can get hidden tresures. Defeating enemies can earn you a Job Point (JP) which can be used to do combo attacks.
Also, in battles, there is now a Law System. Some laws are in effect for some areas, like no items or no magic. Violate those laws and you get a penalty card. If it's severe enough, your charcter gets tossed in jail, where you either need to pay or pardon him. Some missions allow you to send out one person at a time, and the number of people in battle varies from area to area.
There are five races in the game and about ten starting classes that I know off. The basics are here -- Soliders, White Mage, Black Mage, Monk, Thief, Archer, Summoners, and some new ones. You are allowed to set items and also change classes, just like in FFT. The game is usually open ended on which missions you take, and you can also now and then engage in 'clan battles' with other clans.
The game has a neat option where you can set the display to what you are playing the game on for the best look -- GBA, GBA SP, or the Game Boy Player. Controls are easy to learn, and the graphics look very close to FFT, and VERY good on a handheld. Music is good enough to keep, and there's room for two save files, plus you can do a one shot battle save.
Finally, there's a multiplayer option, where you can link and fight, or trade items, but it's hidden -- you need to do something in the game or get to a certain point to unlock it.
Bottom line? If you enjoyed FFT, or just strategy games in general, get this in a heartbeat! It's well worth the $35 I paid for it. If you want a good game for your GBA, this also fits the bill nicely. Square's return to a Nintendo system was a good one indeed, and I can see the game having replay value.
Only the moogle does'nt really LOOK like a moogle in this..... :P
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