A look back at: Final Fantasy Tactics

Let it be known that I am not a fan of Game of Thrones. I'm also quite burned out on the classic dreary medieval setting. But even with those personal opinions of mine even I can't say no to Final Fantasy Tactics, since it makes a Tactics game with Final Fantasy traits and it works out quite well. Having to recruit and customize characters is always of importance, I spend way too much on it, and I also spend quite a lot of money making sure that equipment is of very adequate supply. Usually, you'd never want to buy so much of equipment, but here I gotta, since enemy thiefs and knights can steal or break the stuff. The propositions are a true hit-or-miss thing, they're not my favorite thing to do because they mean progressing in-game days walking back and forth. I'm actually surprised that character aging isn't actually implemented in this game. And who says it's a Final Fantasy game with a lot of bonus content. Cloud Strife as a playable? Not really too much into him here but the thought counts I guess. The Deep Dungeon being a dark multi-floored dungeon? Cool.

This is of course offset by the cool stuff you can do with characters. Throwing stones apparently is a practical way to level up characters, as is accumulating physical attack power. Mediators can invite, Dancers can dance hurtful dances, monks have a huge array of Punch Art, and then there's the different mages, plus the chemist who's an item trolley. The special units like Mustadio, Agrias, and Beowulf all get their own special default abilities which prove to be better than any of the recruitables, while Ramza has the ability to get Ultima.

I guess a complaint for this game is why exactly is the difficulty curve so dynamic? It's like if you went through one battle easy peasy due to the enemies being underprepared, and then you get a more annoying setup. Or you're in Riovanes Castle, Limberry Castle, or any multi-stage battlefield. It's seems so enticing to save once you're done with one tough battle, but having several without options to level grind have made players forfeit their entire games at Riovanes Castle for example. Thanks a lot Rafa, for suicidally attacking Elmdor when you should be running away from the enemies with the Masamune and the insta-kill/stop abilities.

On the storyline perspective, Ramza and Delita carry the game through. Delita ends up being the manipulator to a lot of nobility, while Ramza the heretic finds all the truth needed against this corrupt church and how corrupt all of the noble characters really are. The fact that this story chronicles the adventures Ramza takes makes him out to be someone who was only remembered as a heretic and not a true savior, while Delita who killed his way up to kingsmanship got all the credit. It's real sad too, you see Ramza and Alma riding Chocobos away from Ivalice since they know they can't return, while we can't be certain if Delita survives his stabbing ordeal from his queen. Still though, Final Fantasy Tactics delivered on a bittersweet story better than I expected, compounding it with numerous character deaths that the series so desperately avoids.