Final Fantasy Tactics will wound your heart and mind, and the scars may never leave you.
Final Fantasy Tactics tells a story of Ranza Beoulve, a noble kind in a realm divided by two forces that fights for the throne. It doesn't sound really original, does it? True, but that's only the background of many other monumental events and extraordinary plots that you will find in this game.
The real plot of FFT happens right under the eyes of each side, but everyone's desire refers only to power. Blinded by the rivalry, a little few others care about or even know about the ultimate fact: the church retains a deadly secret.
At last, the plot of FFT isn't realy original on first impression, but it's deep, touching and veraciously like any other story (and that's for sure one of the greatest effort of the FF series). The ending may sound ambiguous, but do not be precipitate on your judgement; it does not have a traditional "the end" but it makes you think for many hour before the game is done and that's why he gets on you so deeply.
Ramza do not get a very happy ending and do not have a statue with his name on it, etc. He did what had to be done, even if his own brothers were against him, even if he was called heretic. Ramza wanted peace while everybody chose power even if his name has to be forgotten forevermore: Ramza is the essence of a true hero. Delita (Ramza's brother-in-law), otherwise, chose power. His ending is all that he wished to: he prove to the entire world that a non-noble man can be whatever he want to. However, the ending show us the other side of the coin: Delita is king and Ovelia (the queen, after the endind) stabs him with a knife, concluding in a perfectly ambiguous way: Delita may have power and glory, but all that he could be was an unsatisfied human being, even if he remains alive.
Final Fantasy Tactics isn't made only with a almost perfect story, it has, in otherhand, one of the best gameplays to be found in a strategy game: many many classes with numberless skills that you can combine to archive unnique characters, with an endless list of abilities with cool visual effect. The soundtrack was made by Hitoshi Sakimoto (composer of the soundtracks of many other great series, like Rurouni Kenshin, FF XII and Vagrant Story) and Masaharu Iwat, lending a master work music to a truly awesome game.
FFT is one of the best experiences I ever had in Vide-Games and if you never played it yet, get yourself a copy and be prepared to be one more fan of this great game, that may never leave your memories.
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The Highlights:
- One of the best "class & skill" tools of all times;
- Unforgettable, tragic, veraciously and immersive story;
- The soundtracks are beautiful, exciting, and epic;
- Charismatic NPCs;
- The most distinct FF and also a strategy game like any other;
- Random encounters aren't boring;
- Terrific strategic gameplay with lot of memorable battles;
- Very high replay value;
- Great visual effects;
- You can ride a chocobo in battle and also control many other monsters.
The Bad:
- No cinematics;
- The final battles are, somewhat, undeveloped;
- Main characters (near the end) are a way better than the regular recruits.