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PSP Tactics!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: October 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy Tactics is a very fond name to many gamers (including me) and this port has been wonderfully re-translated
beautiful all new added cut-scenes really bring this gem to life.
2 new character classes *spoiler* Onion Knight and Dark Knight. Multiplayer and VS modes really make this the best tactics ever.

many of the coolest unlockables being unlocked in multiplayer mode, you might be asking why would I play multiplayer? well several reasons, the new clases have a huge assortment of items ONLY unlockable in Multiplayer as well as several new character additions and finally the 2 new classes.

the only part of the gameplay they didn't fix perfectly is the balance in battles the 3rd battle is harder then some of the boss stages but this is so minute a flaw it's hardly worth the mension. the only other slightly noticable flaw is a tad of slowdown during attack animations
but otherwise this game is currently winning awards all over (game of the month PSM-9.5 score) and is better then it was before.
truly amazing how well a game can be revamped into perfection unlike so many others. all the jobs in the job system are back and all the customization on characters you could ever want make this the stratagy rpg to own this year!

Graphics: old school New cutscenes etc 5.0 stars its a gem and wouldn't have been the same too overhauled.

Sound: its Final Fantasy do they EVER scrimp on the sound? 5 stars!

overall: with added classes, characters, enemies, multiplayer modes and more this is the final fantasy to own. 5 Stars!

buy it here:
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

A True Masterpeice

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: October 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I can't begin to count how many reviews have come out for this game comparing it to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (here on "FFTA") I wish they wouldn't do that. This is very much the original game with some key improvements. While I, like many would very much like to see a sequel to this game a well done remake is just as good. With 2 added characters, Classes (Jobs), Multiplayer, smoothed over graphics, smoother game play and updated script and wording to truly resemble a very "Feudal Age England" Square Enix has truly turned a legend into a Classic. Many complain that some of the more forgivable features of FFTA (changing Equipment and Jobs pre battle as opposed to preparing before landing on a battle area & the ability to redo a move should it be a mistake.) Quite a few Tactical RPG's support as unforgiving a Battle System as the Original Final Fantasy Tactics. Although I would have enjoyed some new content and a bit more in the area of side quests I do love the fact that the PSP now has a shinning title that will perhaps give it a much needed boost to attract in even more exceptional games.

Best game for the PSP!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is without a doubt the best game on the PSP.
I was a huge fan of the original Final Fantasy Tactics on the PSP and this new version is able to improve on almost every thing that was in the original.
Even though most all of the script was changed from the original, it is still very, very well done. Granted, this may mean we lose classic quotes from the original such as "Blame yourself, or blame God." but overall, that's fine. The script is much more refined and all of the translation issues have been fixed.
The voice cast is very well done, starring Phil LaMarr as Ramza. The voices picked for the characters were exactly what I had pictured their voices to be.
The only minor thing wrong with the game is the slowdown experienced when characters and NPCs perform special attacks. While this may seem very obvious at first, after playing the game for 15 hours, the slowdown doesn't bother me at all. It is an issue that was big on the Japanese release and was supposed to be fixed for the American release, but sadly wasn't. Yes, it is an issue, but a very tiny issue that the user will become accustomed to after playing the game for a while. It isn't enough of an issue to warrant lowering the score of the game.
With the addition of new hidden characters, new missions, animated cutscenes, fixed script, and everything else new, this is a must buy game for the PSP. I've beaten the original version 5 or 6 times, at around 80 hours each time. I anticipate this version to be the same way.
Highly addictive and well-written storyline and the replayability factor are top notch. Kudos to Square-Enix!

My addiction

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Coincidentally, I had just dug up my old PS version of FFT to replay, when I discovered that it was going to be re-released on PSP. This was my first tactics game, which led me to try others, but FFT by far surpassed them all. So I blew the dust off my PSP. Yes, the PSP version is the same game (shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone: read the title), but the additional scenes and updated translation are well worth it. The plot and even particular conversations make more sense, and the Renaissance-like dialogue really enhances the aesthetics. I recall putting in 100+ hours (the clock only went up to 99) on the original, and I expect I'll be doing it again.

Remake of a PS1 Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 21
Date: January 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This review was written by my son, James Shea

A remake of the hit game for the PS1, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions updates many of the little pieces of the original game in addition to carrying the game over to the Playstation Portable platform. It has been 10 years since the original's release; now the update brings it to a new generation.

As a refresher for those unfamiliar with the original game, Final Fantasy Tactics is a turn-based tactical game using many of the abilities and classes made familiar in the Final Fantasy series of games. The story takes place in the kingdom of Ivalice, where civil war has erupted following a great war against foreign enemies and the death of the old king. The main character, Ramza, must navigate these mazes of treachery and deceit to discover the true secret of the ancient prophecies that govern the kingdom.

The English translation to the original was notoriously bad, with such lines as "I got a good feeling!" and "Bracelet" used instead of "Breath" (as in, a Dragon's breath). The main thing done by the remake was the rewriting/retranslating of almost the entire script to be much more period-appropriate. For the most part this is a good thing, matching the epic, elegant scale of the story, though certain fan-favorite lines were lost ("Don't blame us! Blame yourself or God!" and "Surrender, or die in obscurity!" being two of those). Many names were also changed; besides the re-familiarization of characters (for fans who got used to the old names), the only other problem is the abundance of "th" sounds to replace "s" sounds ("Algus" becomes "Argath", like how "Aeris" from Final Fantasy 7 became "Aerith" in later games).

In certain scenes, illustrated cinematics were used to replace the game-engine cutscenes or CG cutscenes used in the old versions. These cinematics have a distinct art style and coloring scheme and are very well done. These scenes also have voice acting, which is done with English accents similar to much of Final Fantasy XII. Several new scenes are also inserted to either add backstory to the game or to establish a new character. On that note, two new characters from other Final Fantasy games are recruitable through the story (much like Cloud from FF7 was and still is): Balthier from FFXII and Luso from the upcoming FFT Advance 2. Two new classes are also obtainable for regular (IE non-unique) characters. Onion Knight is gained by gaining levels in the two basic classes (chemist and squire) while, on the other end, Dark Knight is gained by gaining a high level of classes in many specialized classes.

The War of the Lions also adds a multiplayer mode, accessible through ad-hoc wireless (the PSPs must be within range of each other; no online mode is available). Through this, two players can either fight head-to-head or work cooperatively on unique missions. Characters do not die permanently in this mode, but there are treasures that can be gained from it, including some unique equipment. While it isn't as developed as it could be, its addition is certainly welcomed.

Graphically, the game is the same. While the older sprites might seem dated, the smaller screen means that they seem more artistic than pixelated. The only troubling spot is major slowdown when spells are cast or abilities are used; this problem is recurring and noticeable, but such is only to be expected with the transition between systems.

Final Fantasy Tactics is still acclaimed as one of the best games of all time. With this remake, there were a lot of worries that the original formula would be watered down. Fortunately, this is definitely not the case; the additions are almost entirely good, and make for a much more serious, solid experience. This game has done a great service in many ways to this classic game, despite occasional troubles.

Rating: 9/10.

Buy it!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: November 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you like Final Fantasy, this game is your reason to buy a PSP! This game is a well-polished port of FFT for the original playstation. Some will say the graphics on the PSP version look better and I agree with them. Others may complain about the occasional wait time when doing something "cool" like casting a spell or putting the smackdown on a monster but I disagree with them. While there may be a second or two of wait while things load here and there... it doesn't detract from the game itself. While Nintendo's DS games show that simple can be fun, Sony's games such as this show that amazing graphics, great sound and a good storyline are even more fun. If you're into RPGs, buy this! You won't be dissapointed.

Wow, not usually a strategy RPG player...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm not usually a strategy RPG player (or an FF player at that), but this game has got me hooked. I bought it last week and I've already sunk 30 hours into it. The gameplay is amazingly complex, and completely revitalizes the 1997 FFT game. The cutscenes are wonderful also.

Definitely grab it if you're interested. People hype up Jeane d'Arc and Disagea, but this game is where it's at.

If you don't have this game, you should seriously rethink your life.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Let's see, you just picked up War of the Lions, excited, because you love tactic-based RPGs. What you got was the best tactical RPG port of all time, full with new jobs, and improved graphics, storylines, depth, and basically everything.

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions is the best role-playing game on the PSP. It has everything you could ask for a tactical RPG. First off, you have over twenty jobs to unlock and choose from. This increases the depth tenfold, even if you beat the game, you probably have many jobs to master completely, which is a joy for the replay value. The battle system is well thought out, with hardly any bugs. The camera starts out awkward, but you can move it, so problem solved. It plays out like an average tactical RPG, full with spells, normal attack, the "wait" option, as well as support, reaction, and passive abilities, to add even more depth to certain characters. You can do this to any character, which immerses you in the world quickly, and joyfully.

The graphics have solid sprites, great attacks, and most of all, cel-shaded cut-scenes. It truly looks like the game is alive, and the story-telling is now truly mastered. Also, you can replay them, as well as other, normal game-based cut-scenes, which is a great feature. Although, the graphics suffer a lot in this game. Every magic attack suffers a slowdown, which is annoying. The sound works properly, but it finishes before the attack, because the attack is slowed down, which practically kills the enjoyability of the attacks. To be honest, I usually play with the sound off, but it's still nice to listen too. Speaking of sound, let's talk about sound. The soundtrack is wonderful, the voices for the cut-scenes well matched, and not to mention, the attack sounds are perfect. Although, some sounds in the normal game-based cut-scenes are a bit dinky and bland, but otherwise it's alright.

Let's talk about the story. It is set in a very medieval setting, it has the divided kingdom, lords, dukes, and most of all, the church, which is, as you might guess: Corrupt. Of course, everyone talks in the "ye olde speake". Some of the translating went haywire, so we end up with some spoony bards. If anyone knows what "spoony" means, please don't hesitate to tell me. But enough of that. This game is full of switching sides, corrupt dukes, backstabbing, and many more believable situations in the times of ye olde speake. Ye verrily.

The depth of this game is great. Many jobs are included, as well as the new introduction of the Onion and Dark Knight, both very powerful and challenging to get. There are new missions, as well as "errands" where you dispatch three members of your party to gain job points, gil and as well as ancient artefacts. It's nifty, to say the least. Also, the re-playability is fantastic. The job classes are good to try out new things, as well as the story-line is worth re-watching again. And maybe again. And most of all, four slave slots. Yes, four. It's what many of us like to call "awesome".

Overall:

Graphics- 8.5
Solid sprites, great looking attacks, backed up by the cut-scenes. Although, it suffers from frequent slowdown.

Sound- 9.0
Some sounds are a bit dinky, but everything sounds wonderful from attacks to voices.

Gameplay- 10
New missions, new multiplayer, new jobs, new errans, and more artefacts, once again, story-line is backed up by the cut-scenes.

Lasting Appeal - 10
Overall, more content, which means more time. With this you'll have a great time, and you'll have it many times, for this is all backed up with four save slots.

This is my favorite game for the PSP, and I can say one thing, it'll be staying in my PSP for a while.

A classic revisited

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

So, right off the bat, I must say, that Final Fantasy Tactics for PSX is my favorite game of all times. So I hope you understand that this review is quite biased, but, with good measure, I should hope.

First off, the bad news: It's true, theres a significant slowdown during battles only, when casting spells (protect takes forever, for example) and special attacks. The sounds and the actions might be out of synch at times as well. Also, there's new content, so far, most of it has had to do with Delita's own story. These scenes feel weird: they do explain thoroughly several plot points that weren't explained in the game's first iteration, but they feel a little bit tacked on to me....still, they serve their purpose, to further Delita and Ovelia's relationship, which is an important plot point that was glossed over the first time. Also, some sounds have been changed, most noticeably, the echo in the death rattles was taken out, and, it's not that it sounds cheap...but it doesn't sound as cool anymore. Some sounds HAVE been downgraded, like some higher level magic spells. All in all, I don't understand that tradeoff in particular.

The good - very interesting re-write of all the dialogue in the game. It was given the Ivalice-treatment, and characters now have a Shakesperian depth...just by reading them, you know what their station in life is, whether it be noble or not so. Also, the re-write made some of the plot points way clearer than the first time around. The incredibly intricate plot got a new lease on life, really. It makes me wonder what if they re-made Vagrant Story... I digress. So, the animated cut-scenes are beautiful, and the voice acting is great (not superb, but very good). And some people have complained about the fuzzy graphics. Honestly, I see the same pixelated isometric 2 1/2 D graphics I saw back in '98.

The neutral- so, the gameplay is the same: if you've never played it, it might take a while to get a hang of it. The gameplay is quite daunting for even regular gamers, and some people haven't even played it because they could never get a hang of it. Moreover, once you do get the hang of it, it takes a while to truly master it. Theres two new classes: Onion Knight and Dark Knight. The Dark Knight is a pain to get and is totally worth it; the Onion Knight might be worth it later on...there's also a multi-player feature which I haven't tried out yet, sadly.

Odd observation, this time around, the odds favor enemies a lot more often...for example, I once cast Haste on myself, with a 97% chance of success. Good as done right? Wrong. The spell missed. And that's just one example. I've been missing enemies with sure shots all the time, like 85% success rate. And yet, long shots, like 35% hits, happen more often this time around as well. The AI, I feel, is way more goal oriented this time around: enemies will try flanking you or will prefer causing status changes instead of hitting you directly. The archer, which sucked the first time around, is quite useful now, on both sides.

All in all, this is a great game, perhaps a bit pricey, considering that Jeanne d'Arc, another great SRPG is out for 10 dollars less. Obviously, two very different games, and, honestly, get both. If you can only get one, get this one. I'm gonna be playing this one for a while. Again.

Amazing Game, Yesterday and Today

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is an absolutely incredible game!! If you are a little older, you can enjoy it... once you understand it that is... And there's the catch... it can be a little confusing at first... thankfully... they provide a HUGE tutorial section for you to use.... and that helps A LOT! Graphically, this is truly impressive... they have fully voice acted cut-scenes, and the entire game looks amazing! It was good back in the first one... and it's good now! You won't be let down if you buy this game!

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