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GF Rating
10
Perfect
Well, Kudos FFTA 2
posted by Oneahoka (MESQUITE, TX) Jul 20, 2008
Member since Oct 2007
15 out of 17 gamers (88%) found this review helpful
Well I won't beat around the bush its pretty good, though I won't lie aspects of this game could use work and in others flawless.
Pros: The battle system- is is like the first is addictive and entertaining
The new found bazaar- absolutely amazing it was a great addition to the already good FFTA chronicles I liked the fact I didn't have to find all the weapons just the material which is EXTREMELY easy.
Classes- There were roughly 60 classes it was a major improvement over the first especially the story characters classes it was great
Characters- Now this was my favorite part of the game, instead of having to deal with lame main story characters like Cid, Luso, or Adelle you can do the side quests and obtain others like Fremeldia which was awesome because I didn't have to use the story characters that they give me
Auctions: There is not much to say other then Bravo! honestly, i got tired of battling clans in the first one to keep obtaining areas I already had but in this you win all the areas and you keep them if you get all land that is being auctioned in that town AND you get items for being the master of that part of Ivilance. It was one of the best features
Cons: Length- I've only done 239 of the countless quest and it still feels to short.
Story & Story Quests- Don't get me wrong it was an intriguing story but it led to nothing, i mean the beginning of the story was good but near the end it was REALLY REALLY weak I personally was angered by the end, also the school kid getting sucked into the book and trying to find his way home is to repetitive and kind of cheesy.
Judges- Sure I liked the fact that they gave you stuff if you completed the battle while obeying the law but alot of the laws were just stupid, for example, I'll give you 1 of the ones i hated:
1: Dealing more then 50 damage my characters were so strung even a basic hit did 100 soooo..... i couldn't obey the law there.
But I'm running out of room so I highly recommend this! Enjoy!
Pros: The battle system- is is like the first is addictive and entertaining
The new found bazaar- absolutely amazing it was a great addition to the already good FFTA chronicles I liked the fact I didn't have to find all the weapons just the material which is EXTREMELY easy.
Classes- There were roughly 60 classes it was a major improvement over the first especially the story characters classes it was great
Characters- Now this was my favorite part of the game, instead of having to deal with lame main story characters like Cid, Luso, or Adelle you can do the side quests and obtain others like Fremeldia which was awesome because I didn't have to use the story characters that they give me
Auctions: There is not much to say other then Bravo! honestly, i got tired of battling clans in the first one to keep obtaining areas I already had but in this you win all the areas and you keep them if you get all land that is being auctioned in that town AND you get items for being the master of that part of Ivilance. It was one of the best features
Cons: Length- I've only done 239 of the countless quest and it still feels to short.
Story & Story Quests- Don't get me wrong it was an intriguing story but it led to nothing, i mean the beginning of the story was good but near the end it was REALLY REALLY weak I personally was angered by the end, also the school kid getting sucked into the book and trying to find his way home is to repetitive and kind of cheesy.
Judges- Sure I liked the fact that they gave you stuff if you completed the battle while obeying the law but alot of the laws were just stupid, for example, I'll give you 1 of the ones i hated:
1: Dealing more then 50 damage my characters were so strung even a basic hit did 100 soooo..... i couldn't obey the law there.
But I'm running out of room so I highly recommend this! Enjoy!
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GF Rating
10
Perfect
There's a serious flaw in this game, addiction.
posted by Edwin20er (MORGANTOWN, WV) Jul 7, 2008
Member since Jan 2007
7 out of 9 gamers (78%) found this review helpful
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 combines the job class system of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance with the Ability system of Final Fantasy IX and the quest system of Final Fantasy Tactics, resulting in a game that holds the best of all three. The storyline is a bit lacking and can seem disjointed if you're trying to do everything, but you always want to see quests through to their end leaving an interesting catch 22. All in all though, the strategy aspect drives the game, so if you're looking for a solid story, look at FF IV; you'll not find better there, but I digress. If you enjoyed either Final Fantasy Tactics on the PS1 or its PSP Port or the spinoff on the GBA, try this Strategy Role-Player that adds to the DS's ever growing library of Stategy Role-Players that now includes Disgaea, Luminous Arc, and Advance Wars DS and Days of Ruin. (Yes, it's a shameless plug from a Nintendo fanboy, but all these games are high recommendations from a lover of these types of games.)
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GF Rating
10
Perfect
FFTA2 is a great RPG!
posted by Killer67 (RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA) Jul 14, 2008
Member since Jun 2008
3 out of 5 gamers (60%) found this review helpful
if you've played the first one it will be like returning home, if you've just played this one for the first time it will be extremely deep. I like the fact that you now have to go one missions to unlock classes, and the forgery of new items can get very fun each time you win a mission and get new material. The fact that they changed the law system from the first installment is excelllent, you no longer go to jail for breaking the law but suffer dearly(if you die your party members cannot be revived). its a great game so I might keep it...definetly a 10/10.
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GF Rating
9
Excellent
100+ hours of Awesomeness
posted by JustAndIn (WEST CHESTER, PA) Sep 22, 2008
Member since Sep 2008
2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful
First off let me just admit to playing the original GBA tactics completely thru twice. I think I still have it somewhere with a 100+ hour save file. So it was a given I'd like this game... but to digress from my excitement I will begin with my comments.
The main story (as in the first one) is dull and uninspired. Even so though, once your into the world you'll be more involved in the fun and even exciting missions. The infinite and simple customization and 30 member party limit forces you to pick and chose the classes and skills which best fit your style. Of course, you will always need a good tank and healer. The multiple story line missions are more interesting than the "I need to get out of this book" storyline.
Now to my small gripes and why it isn't a 10. My number one issue is the bazaar limiting your advancement while you wait for the materials needed for that next skill item. Number two would be the laws. I may be wrong but in the original your opponent had to follow the same laws as you. Banning projectile weapons and then your opponents are all hunters is not very cool. Third and it is only minor, but help quests where you have to find the right class/race combo to help out is frustrating without looking up a guide. I was 50+ hours into the game and sure that one required a white mage but was rejected every time because it needed to be a specific race as well as class.
I think that this is a bit of over typing but then again it goes with an overly huge and great game.
The main story (as in the first one) is dull and uninspired. Even so though, once your into the world you'll be more involved in the fun and even exciting missions. The infinite and simple customization and 30 member party limit forces you to pick and chose the classes and skills which best fit your style. Of course, you will always need a good tank and healer. The multiple story line missions are more interesting than the "I need to get out of this book" storyline.
Now to my small gripes and why it isn't a 10. My number one issue is the bazaar limiting your advancement while you wait for the materials needed for that next skill item. Number two would be the laws. I may be wrong but in the original your opponent had to follow the same laws as you. Banning projectile weapons and then your opponents are all hunters is not very cool. Third and it is only minor, but help quests where you have to find the right class/race combo to help out is frustrating without looking up a guide. I was 50+ hours into the game and sure that one required a white mage but was rejected every time because it needed to be a specific race as well as class.
I think that this is a bit of over typing but then again it goes with an overly huge and great game.
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GF Rating
7
Good
Great Gameplay, Bad Story
posted by Genryo (CATONSVILLE, MD) Jul 17, 2008
Member since Apr 2004
1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful
Do you want to play a game with an amazing story? A game that keeps you on the edge of your seat and has you holding your breath for what happens next? Sorry, but your going to have to keep looking. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 puts you in the shoes of Luso (or whatever name you pick). Another poor schoolboy gets teleported to a strange new world with magic and strange creatures. Sadly, the story is about as creative as it sounds, A punk from our world goes to Ivalice and stays a punk. But putting the story aside, the game DOES have the great gameplay everyone has come to expect from FFT, and with a huge number of classes and an entertaining battle system, this is THE game to get if you want to sit back, relax, and lose hours of your life getting sucked into leveling your characters and unlocking all the classes. So i urge you to play this game, because despite its short comings, it is an amazingly addictive game that your should not pass up.
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GF Rating
3
Bad
More of the same
posted by ESPERs (VISALIA, CA) Jul 15, 2008
Member since Oct 2007
4 out of 9 gamers (44%) found this review helpful
Just great... another game about a story within a story. I enjoyed the original Final Fantasy Tactics game, so I played Final Fantasy Tactics for the GBA. A kid getting sucked into a story... Judges... With time I came to hate many aspects of the GBA game. To see them recycled into another game just makes me sick. Sure it can be immersive for young children, but the game is dead to the true fans.
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GF Rating
3
Bad
What Happened?
posted by Schnazy72 (FARGO, ND) Jan 14, 2009
Member since Oct 2006
2 out of 7 gamers (29%) found this review helpful
I really like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for GBA, so you know I was stoked to play A2. Alright, I get about 3 hours in and decided I want to do some side quest stuff. This is where my main problem lies. The combat system is depressingly flawed. I understand they want to make a game challenging, but making it unplayable is a huge mistake. Slow and Haste skills are incredibly out of proportion, and a magic attack should be incredibly stronger than a physical attack but take longer until that target can move again. The game lost its momentum from its origins and the story line is surprisingly predictive and unoriginal. The main hero in the story is a brat who escapes to another dimension and tries to find his way back. I give it a depressing score for a depressing game.
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GF Rating
8
Very Good
final fantasy tactics A2 grimoire of the rift
posted by dmoney14 (SANTA CRUZ, CA) Jul 7, 2008
Member since Jun 2008
1 out of 4 gamers (25%) found this review helpful
THIS GAME IS AWSOME!!!!!!!!the stragies have to came fast and naturally or else you lose. nice plot twists, too. my only compliant is that some of the emimes you encounter are too hard to beat.
this issue is hard too deal with near the middle to end of the game. some enemies are just, plain cheep. take ghosts, for instance. when you "kill" them, they recover full health in three turns time. this is only a minor complaint, and i enjoy the game overall.
this issue is hard too deal with near the middle to end of the game. some enemies are just, plain cheep. take ghosts, for instance. when you "kill" them, they recover full health in three turns time. this is only a minor complaint, and i enjoy the game overall.
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GF Rating
9
Excellent
Fun but short
posted by ladylibra92 (LAHAINA, HI) Jun 26, 2012
Member since Jun 2011
It was fun to play but the main story went by too fast. There's still missions to do post game and all but compared to the first game the story was really short.
The game is really easy to learn, even if you've never played FFT before. Highly suggest this game.
The game is really easy to learn, even if you've never played FFT before. Highly suggest this game.
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GF Rating
10
Perfect
One of the best tactical strategy RPGs
posted by ATLgamer (ATLANTA, GA) May 16, 2011
Member since Feb 2010
If you've never played a turn-based, tactical RPG, this is not for you.
If you don't like limitless statistics, abilities, and customization of character classes and abilities, this is also not for you.
I'm not a fan of all the cutesy graphics, but that's a small price to pay for one of the deepest, richest, most complex turn-based strategy-RPGs ever written. You can easily get 100+ hours out of this, carefully building your small army of characters, tweaking and tuning their combat (and even non-combat) skills.
Try it at GameFly, then buy a copy. (Don't mind the ~30mins of tutorial and useless intro/plot -- it's wide open after that, and the combat is immensely satisfying.)
If you don't like limitless statistics, abilities, and customization of character classes and abilities, this is also not for you.
I'm not a fan of all the cutesy graphics, but that's a small price to pay for one of the deepest, richest, most complex turn-based strategy-RPGs ever written. You can easily get 100+ hours out of this, carefully building your small army of characters, tweaking and tuning their combat (and even non-combat) skills.
Try it at GameFly, then buy a copy. (Don't mind the ~30mins of tutorial and useless intro/plot -- it's wide open after that, and the combat is immensely satisfying.)
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GF Rating
1
Horrible
Pathetic Excuse for FF Tactics
posted by Zenning (BURNSVILLE, MN) Oct 25, 2010
Member since Oct 2010
Generally I love Final Fantasy Tactics. I've spent countless hours playing them. This is a pathetic miserable excuse for a game bearing FFT, and square enix's name. First little obnoxious trait. There's a judge. You break the rules, you lose some nice abilities. Generally it's pretty easy to not break the rules, unless it's something fantabulous like, no damage over 50, and your average hit is in the mid 70's... Or my personal favorite... No distance targeting... Be sure to take the time to put one of your people behind whatever it is you're attacking, because if you crit it, and it flies, you lose. This is by far the most obnoxious part of this game. When you are working on improving your clan, you fail, you get to go back and spend more currency to try again, and again, and again, and you've got 4 turns to kill them all, and the end of the fourth turn your warrior crits them again, and they go flying, and...
If you enjoy exercises in Futility, and being thoroughly annoyed at stupid things like that... don't let this review stop you. But better bang for your buck, PS1 FFT.
Honestly, I am disgusted that this ever passed beta testing.
If it had been done right, I'd be singing praises. I usually get games that make me think, strategy type stuff. This Brings a lot of really neat features to the table, except I usually enjoy relaxing when I play a game, not getting frustrated at all the little things that were poorly implemented.
Save yourself the frustration, get something else.
If you enjoy exercises in Futility, and being thoroughly annoyed at stupid things like that... don't let this review stop you. But better bang for your buck, PS1 FFT.
Honestly, I am disgusted that this ever passed beta testing.
If it had been done right, I'd be singing praises. I usually get games that make me think, strategy type stuff. This Brings a lot of really neat features to the table, except I usually enjoy relaxing when I play a game, not getting frustrated at all the little things that were poorly implemented.
Save yourself the frustration, get something else.
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GF Rating
8
Very Good
A Two-Three Week Rent
posted by Luckybucke (MURRIETA, CA) Dec 26, 2009
Member since Dec 2008
Being the huge fan I am of FFT and FFTA, I bought this game knowing that it'd be hard to make a mistake with it. Although my assumption was right, I do admit that I was mildly let down by this game. Here's why:
The storyline in this game, as the other reviews suggest, is seriously lacking. It basically sets up the storyline, puts you into the game, and hardly becomes interesting until the very end, where the most excitement is basically you saying "Oh, cool" to finding out secrets behind the main characters, and their involvement with the antagonist. It's just not that great.
As for the gameplay, it's fun like all the other versions. One nice change in this title is the ability to move and select the action, see the damage it'd do, and then start all over again, to be able to move to another location, and compare the damage dealt. It allows you to give more thought to your battle, and compare different methods of attack.
The job system, I find, is dissapointing in this game. There's more jobs, sure, but none of them were as exciting to me as those in FFT or FFTA. I, for one, enjoy putting a lot of effort into unlocking a powerful class, and then dominating with it. The jobs in this game are all fairly balanced, with a few exceptions which you'll quickly master and become bored of. There's also only 5 special classes for unique characters, none of which are anything "special."
The one great aspect of this game is all the weapons, though. The feature called a Bazaar allows you to use materials from battles to discover new weapons, which you can then buy in the shop. There's hundreds of weapons, so it will keep you busy for some time.
Quests are alright. Usually they're all slightly differing stories, and then the same basic battle routine. There's a lot of them, but nothing too special about any of them.
All-in-all, it's definitely a game to rent. I got around 50 hours out of it, but don't plan to get much more from it. As for buying, it's just not worth it.
The storyline in this game, as the other reviews suggest, is seriously lacking. It basically sets up the storyline, puts you into the game, and hardly becomes interesting until the very end, where the most excitement is basically you saying "Oh, cool" to finding out secrets behind the main characters, and their involvement with the antagonist. It's just not that great.
As for the gameplay, it's fun like all the other versions. One nice change in this title is the ability to move and select the action, see the damage it'd do, and then start all over again, to be able to move to another location, and compare the damage dealt. It allows you to give more thought to your battle, and compare different methods of attack.
The job system, I find, is dissapointing in this game. There's more jobs, sure, but none of them were as exciting to me as those in FFT or FFTA. I, for one, enjoy putting a lot of effort into unlocking a powerful class, and then dominating with it. The jobs in this game are all fairly balanced, with a few exceptions which you'll quickly master and become bored of. There's also only 5 special classes for unique characters, none of which are anything "special."
The one great aspect of this game is all the weapons, though. The feature called a Bazaar allows you to use materials from battles to discover new weapons, which you can then buy in the shop. There's hundreds of weapons, so it will keep you busy for some time.
Quests are alright. Usually they're all slightly differing stories, and then the same basic battle routine. There's a lot of them, but nothing too special about any of them.
All-in-all, it's definitely a game to rent. I got around 50 hours out of it, but don't plan to get much more from it. As for buying, it's just not worth it.
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GF Rating
8
Very Good
> Good
posted by bgJOJO (SAN DIEGO, CA) Oct 19, 2009
Member since Feb 2008
Even though the story seen throughout the Final Fantasy Tactics series is all very similar it's still good! Usually your not in it for how the story begins, your in it to play the sweet Strategy RPG mix!
So you basically get what you ask for in this game.
Nothing more, nothing less.
So you basically get what you ask for in this game.
Nothing more, nothing less.
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GF Rating
7
Good
I love Tactics Advanced, A2 messes with some stuff
posted by PliskinSIN (KAPOLEI, HI) Jun 16, 2009
Member since Mar 2006
This game is pretty darn good the main character is okay and the combat remains the same its just Advanced but a graphic upgrade... my only problem is the Bazaar system i hate it i missed how stuff would just unlock for you as you found more places and progressed in the story i missed just buying new weapons for my guys and just worrying about their skills and levels. Now in this game you get random items from battles and you hope that the crud you picked up can make you an item in the Bazaar that you can purchase the classes are kinda weird it feels harder to get to a better class even the black mage you need one white mage skill to be it even the Ninja needs like 4 theif skills to be it, i didnt like it. There are more classes yes but i feel the old mechanics were fine and i loved it. Finally its a personal thing i miss Motblanc because it just got a main black mage out of the way, now i dont need a nother black mage ever i can focus on other things now. i say if your hard core buy it im trying to beat it its hard and i get bored from time to time but i love Final Fantasy and the Tactics series so im going to stick it out.
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GF Rating
6
Above Average
6 for effort
posted by MJW0000000 (LAKEWOOD, WA) Apr 17, 2009
Member since Mar 2009
i didn't like it much idk why i like srpg games like shining force and all that and this is pretty similar but i cant get into ya know its so boring doing the dumb side quests that do nothing except give you items to take to the bazaar and make into weapons that only a few jobs can use lol definitely not a huge hit for the final fantasy team i will try to beat the game but i doubt it will ever happen im like 4 hours into the game and almost nothing has happened worth writing about its just plain and boring a real game is dragon quest 5 and chronotrigger go play those dont waste time on this one go for the goods
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GF Rating
9
Excellent
Weak on Tactics, But Still a Great Game
posted by Iamnobody (WILMINGTON, DE) Apr 13, 2009
Member since Jul 2008
Despite what the title implies, FFTA2 actually involves very little strategy after the first 30 quests or so. The reason for this is not the common Tactical RPG flaw of bad AI or broken mechanics, but simply that there are too many easy quests. Need to level up? Just complete a few "fetch quests" or delivery missions and you'll be at a perfect level for the combat mission.
That isn't to say the game's quests are boring. Including everything from escort missions to boss fights, delivery missions to disabling traps, and speed battles to food collecting, the game has almost everything you're looking for. They're just... Easy. The game tries to solve this problem in multiple quests by giving bosses insane amounts of health or attack power, but even this is defeated simply by spacing your characters so that they cannot all be hit by one attack, a maneuver that is rarely difficult to pull off.
The low level of difficulty is however, easy to overlook. The game's story, while not overly original, is done well and has some interesting elements, like the so called "Heritor's". The unit and race systems are also an intriguing element. There are a total of five races, which specialize in things like flying, movement, health, or adaptability. Most of these races, with the exception of the Gria (whose ability to fly makes them powerful enough anyway) have a fair amount of jobs (white mage, ninja, etc.) to select from, and any unit can have two jobs at the same time, including the ability to use items.
FFTA2 attempts to fix the mistake of its predecessor by toning down the punishment for breaking the so called "laws", but fails. The punishment for ignoring them is lax, so it's easier to just ignore cheap laws like "Don't Miss" than go out of your way to follow them.
FFTA2 is a game no DS owner should overlook, especially those that are fans of RPGs or turnbased strategy.
That isn't to say the game's quests are boring. Including everything from escort missions to boss fights, delivery missions to disabling traps, and speed battles to food collecting, the game has almost everything you're looking for. They're just... Easy. The game tries to solve this problem in multiple quests by giving bosses insane amounts of health or attack power, but even this is defeated simply by spacing your characters so that they cannot all be hit by one attack, a maneuver that is rarely difficult to pull off.
The low level of difficulty is however, easy to overlook. The game's story, while not overly original, is done well and has some interesting elements, like the so called "Heritor's". The unit and race systems are also an intriguing element. There are a total of five races, which specialize in things like flying, movement, health, or adaptability. Most of these races, with the exception of the Gria (whose ability to fly makes them powerful enough anyway) have a fair amount of jobs (white mage, ninja, etc.) to select from, and any unit can have two jobs at the same time, including the ability to use items.
FFTA2 attempts to fix the mistake of its predecessor by toning down the punishment for breaking the so called "laws", but fails. The punishment for ignoring them is lax, so it's easier to just ignore cheap laws like "Don't Miss" than go out of your way to follow them.
FFTA2 is a game no DS owner should overlook, especially those that are fans of RPGs or turnbased strategy.
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GF Rating
6
Above Average
Just another Final Fantasy
posted by borislav (DES PLAINES, IL) Apr 1, 2009
Member since Jul 2007
Back when I was a kid Square-Enix was called Squaresoft and when a new Final Fantasy game was announced I burst with joy. These days it's more like "Oh, another Final Fantasy..."
A2 isn't a horrible game but it's not one that you need to play unless you 1) don't play many RPGs, 2) absolutely must own everything with "Final Fantasy" in the title. The story isn't interesting, the characters aren't interesting, the battles aren't interesting...
Basically it's pretty and it sounds good but it doesn't have a soul. And isn't fun. A lot of the enemies absorb magic, and they just LOVE healing themselves with it. A battle that should take 5 minutes ends up taking 15 because of this and the fact that you can't skip attack animations.
What else can I say about this game? A lot of kids these days just love Final Fantasy no matter what, but I've played many great RPGs that don't have either word in the title, and the ones that do haven't released on a console since PS1.
A2 isn't a horrible game but it's not one that you need to play unless you 1) don't play many RPGs, 2) absolutely must own everything with "Final Fantasy" in the title. The story isn't interesting, the characters aren't interesting, the battles aren't interesting...
Basically it's pretty and it sounds good but it doesn't have a soul. And isn't fun. A lot of the enemies absorb magic, and they just LOVE healing themselves with it. A battle that should take 5 minutes ends up taking 15 because of this and the fact that you can't skip attack animations.
What else can I say about this game? A lot of kids these days just love Final Fantasy no matter what, but I've played many great RPGs that don't have either word in the title, and the ones that do haven't released on a console since PS1.
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GF Rating
7
Good
Don't play on hard difficulty
posted by digipacman (SIMI VALLEY, CA) Feb 3, 2009
Member since Apr 2007
Unless you want to spend most of your time doing super repetitive tasks to win every match then don't play hard difficulty. I'm sure the game would be a lot better on normal mode, but hard mode, agh.
Just wasn't worth playing so long to get so little story line.
Nothing like the original.
I recommend the game. It's fun, but don't play it on hard unless you have a lot of commitment.
Just wasn't worth playing so long to get so little story line.
Nothing like the original.
I recommend the game. It's fun, but don't play it on hard unless you have a lot of commitment.
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GF Rating
10
Perfect
10 10 10 10 10 10
posted by kaoswithin (PLAISTOW, NH) Oct 28, 2008
Member since Mar 2008
Instantly the best game on the DS. This brings the original game from GBA to DS and makes it 10x better. Well over 100 hours of game play. Trust me, you'll enjoy this one.
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GF Rating
10
Perfect
A great way to spend some quality time.
posted by Emisary (LAFAYETTE, IN) Oct 4, 2008
Member since Aug 2008
No matter what anyone says about Final Fantasy it will always be the #1 game franchise in history right up there with the Metal Gear Series. I played and beat the Advanced Tactics, this new instalment was worth the wait. It takes the edge off of always fighting in a linear RPG based battle system, its just this time you actually get to move you characters where you want. Unlike the Final Fantasies that came before (Excluding Tactics for PS1). Totally Worth it!
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GF Rating
9
Excellent
FFTA2, A step up
posted by DrGats (ANCHORAGE, AK) Sep 24, 2008
Member since Jan 2008
FFTA2 was a pleasing step up in the portable Final Fantasy titles. There is a large difference between it and past tactics titles, but most were in the right direction.
The biggest change was the judge and law system, which is much more agreeable. While still providing a challenge during battles, breaking a law during battle no longer removes your character from battle making it almost impossible to continue at times; it instead revokes your clan "privilege", which you chose at the beginning of battle, kind of like a battle length buff. This gives you an incentive to keep up the law, but if you can't for some reason you can still continue. There are also much more creative laws to challenge your strategy, such as "must move exactly 3 spaces each turn".
The best up point to the game is the sheer staggering amount of jobs and races available. This makes it to where instead of past tactics titles where you would normally have one "A List" group and never quite use your other clan members, you actually have multiple high quality clan members who can be sent out on dispatch missions while you go on more important ones.
The bazaar system for obtaining weapons makes the scaling of the game very nice, because you still obtain weapons at seemingly appropriate stages during the game, but you no longer have to travel to certain cities to obtain them as the bazaar shares the same weapon selection.
The only thing I find missing in this game is the lack of timing for skills that was present in the original tactics, which added such depth to strategy. Considering the positive changes, I was able to overlook this once I really got into the game, and found other ways to customize my strategy. Definitely clicking the "keep it" button. This game will provide endless hours of entertainment for my brain!
The biggest change was the judge and law system, which is much more agreeable. While still providing a challenge during battles, breaking a law during battle no longer removes your character from battle making it almost impossible to continue at times; it instead revokes your clan "privilege", which you chose at the beginning of battle, kind of like a battle length buff. This gives you an incentive to keep up the law, but if you can't for some reason you can still continue. There are also much more creative laws to challenge your strategy, such as "must move exactly 3 spaces each turn".
The best up point to the game is the sheer staggering amount of jobs and races available. This makes it to where instead of past tactics titles where you would normally have one "A List" group and never quite use your other clan members, you actually have multiple high quality clan members who can be sent out on dispatch missions while you go on more important ones.
The bazaar system for obtaining weapons makes the scaling of the game very nice, because you still obtain weapons at seemingly appropriate stages during the game, but you no longer have to travel to certain cities to obtain them as the bazaar shares the same weapon selection.
The only thing I find missing in this game is the lack of timing for skills that was present in the original tactics, which added such depth to strategy. Considering the positive changes, I was able to overlook this once I really got into the game, and found other ways to customize my strategy. Definitely clicking the "keep it" button. This game will provide endless hours of entertainment for my brain!
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GF Rating
8
Very Good
posted by malachi (CORONA, CA) Aug 23, 2008
Member since Jun 2008
If you enjoyed playing any of the tactic games then this one will not let you down. The story line is very interesting the only thing I didn't like was it seemed to be a little short. If you stay away from the side quests and getting the hidden characters then u could pretty much breeze through this game. The battles are fought like any other tactics game which means that they take up to 15 min for one battle. The only thing I didn't like about this game that was included in other games was that you can't optimize in the fitting room and it's kind of time consuming when your changing jobs and equipment all the time
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GF Rating
9
Excellent
A very good sequel to FFTA
posted by ButtonMash (WATERLOO, IA) Aug 19, 2008
Member since Jun 2005
The first FFT I put well over 90 hours into unlocking everything and doing every quest. This is in a day when I am not compelled to do that with most games.
That being said, FFTA2 was going to be a tough sell going in. At first, I wasn't thrilled with the interface changes, as it felt dumbed-down. But once I got into it, I saw it was quite improved. No longer do you waste days just walking back and forth looking for random battles to grind leveling. Instead, the map is split up into provinces and you only spend days when going between provinces. Thus, if you have a lot to do in one area, you're not spending multiple days just doing quests. Meantime, the clock is running on anything else you've accepted. The only other thing with the interface is the touch interface feels a little tacked on. However, I do like how SquareEnix didn't think they were OBLIGATED to come up with a touch screen gimmick when it wasn't necessary (a la Mario 64 DS).
The new system of unlocking items in shops can be a little daunting. Once you get into it it adds a nice bit of depth and beats having to check the shops constantly for new items after a main quest line mission.
The missions are widely varied and the clan trials are actually fun. The only thing that is lacking so far is the story. Some people were put off by the 20+ min opening to FFTA1. I personally enjoyed it, as it set up what turned out to be an epic story. The intro to FFTA2 is much shorter and kind of left me wondering why I should care about the main character and what he's going through. Hopefully that will turn around as I progress through the game.
Overall it is a great sequel, despite the changes to the story. It has successfully sucked me in and will be keeping this one.
That being said, FFTA2 was going to be a tough sell going in. At first, I wasn't thrilled with the interface changes, as it felt dumbed-down. But once I got into it, I saw it was quite improved. No longer do you waste days just walking back and forth looking for random battles to grind leveling. Instead, the map is split up into provinces and you only spend days when going between provinces. Thus, if you have a lot to do in one area, you're not spending multiple days just doing quests. Meantime, the clock is running on anything else you've accepted. The only other thing with the interface is the touch interface feels a little tacked on. However, I do like how SquareEnix didn't think they were OBLIGATED to come up with a touch screen gimmick when it wasn't necessary (a la Mario 64 DS).
The new system of unlocking items in shops can be a little daunting. Once you get into it it adds a nice bit of depth and beats having to check the shops constantly for new items after a main quest line mission.
The missions are widely varied and the clan trials are actually fun. The only thing that is lacking so far is the story. Some people were put off by the 20+ min opening to FFTA1. I personally enjoyed it, as it set up what turned out to be an epic story. The intro to FFTA2 is much shorter and kind of left me wondering why I should care about the main character and what he's going through. Hopefully that will turn around as I progress through the game.
Overall it is a great sequel, despite the changes to the story. It has successfully sucked me in and will be keeping this one.
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GF Rating
6
Above Average
final fantasy stress
posted by acerecuban (TAMPA, FL) Jul 13, 2008
Member since Nov 2007
the game is long which is good since u get a lot for ur money. the story is extremely weak and most missions get boring cause the reason doesnt matter. a lot of job classes add to the fun. but the game is extremely hard and the laws are not fun. sometimes u just want to fight and not be following stupid laws like no attack, or can only move one step, and a bunch more that instead of making the game fun make u really frustrated. i love final fantasy but just because of the name im not gonna say this game was good. the best word for it is frustrating.
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