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not bad, but..

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was one of my favorite games for the GBA (5 stars for sure), so I had high expectations for this game (3.5 stars). It's not a bad game, but it could have been much better. It feels like more good things were taken away from the series than were added to it. I thought that the law system in the previous game gave it more depth. In this game, it's more of an annoyance because only YOUR characters are punished for breaking the law. When the law is broken, you lose the ability to revive any KO'd characters, which can become annoying. The graphics and music are similar to the previous game. I often found myself thinking that some of the graphics for attacks in the previous game shouldn't have been changed, though others do admittedly look improved. There are significantly more missions than in the previous game, but a lot of them seem similar to each other or as though not much thought was placed into their conception. With so many missions, the main storyline and side plots can be forgotten easily (though they are not very deep). On the plus side, there are a couple of new races and several new jobs for each race to play around with. Also, this game has plenty to do in it, so it should keep you busy for a while (if you like strategy/rpg games). There's a lot more I could say about this game, but I'll wrap this up by saying that those who haven't played the first one will probably like this game more.

some notable flaws but worth a try if you liked other FFT games

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: August 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Its obvious a lot of effort went into making this game so some of its flaws are surprising. Many of the issues dont become apparent until you are well into 20 hours into the game. First, one of the new races has the ability to cause 400 points of damage using health potions as damage with a 99% chance of succeeding. This pretty much ruins any difficulty in the game right to the end of this very long game. It doesnt help that the enemy AI isnt very hard to beat. Just build an army and make sure to keep acquiring new abilities as you go. Most of the new "jobs" arent as useful as the usual mage, thief, and warrior jobs. But the biggest flaw is the story, which is truly boring from beginning to end. I had fun with the game but the above is just a smattering of some of the issues that eat away at what could have been an awesome game. It gets 3 stars, but only just barely.

Deep Engrossing Gameplay Makes Up for Forgettable Story

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 39 / 40
Date: June 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Pros:

+Deep, strategic combat
+Loads of customization
+Crisp, detailed graphics
+Fantastic artwork
+Great music
+More incentive to obey the law
+It overall greatly improves on its predecessor on the Gameboy Advance

Cons:

-Forgettable storyline
-There are some ridiculous laws
-No control over the camera in battle
-Battles can be unusually sluggish
-Tacked on Stylus Controls

In 1998, Square released a game called Final Fantasy Tactics on the original Playstation. In 2003 we finally saw the follow up, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. While the original game gained a strong cult following, Tactics Advance had a love/hate relationship with many gamers. With that in mind, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is very much in tune with its predecessor on the Gameboy Advance. If you enjoyed Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, you'll more than likely enjoy this one. If Final Fantasy Tactics Advance wasn't your cup of tea, then Tactics Advance A2 doesn't do much to make you like it. It sticks to many of its conventions and in turn, suffers from many of the same problems. It's problems, however, don't have as great an impact, and that overall helps Final Fantasy Tactics A2 be a better game than the Gameboy Advance outing.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 focuses on Luso, a school student who is geared up for summer vacation. Unfortunately, his lazy ways have made the teacher want to straighten him out and instead of beginning his summer vacation right away, Luso is sent to the library to help clean it up. While he's there, he stumbles upon a book where the pages are blank. When he finally writes his name in the book he's transported to the world of Ivalice where he'll meet up with a clan who agrees to help him find a way home. Essentially, your main goal is the same as the first Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, to find a way home. The story isn't all that great. It's fairly forgettable, as a matter of fact. However, where Tactics A2 falls in story, it makes up for in gameplay.

Throughout the game, you'll visit pubs which will display missions for you to undertake. Once you select a mission you'll have to go to the location and carry out the duty. When in battle, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 plays like most other Strategy RPGs. You'll send your warriors into battle, move them a certain number of spaces and execute attacks against the enemy. Battles can, at times, be a little sluggish. Even the simplest battles can last for a half an hour at most, but the amount of strategy needed is pretty deep. As is the game's job system which can really put a spin on how easy or difficult a battle can be.

The job system is easily the best part of the game. You can choose a wide variety of jobs. Warriors, Mages and Summoners alike. The job a character can choose depends on their race. For example, a Viera can't become a Soldier. You'll unlock more jobs based on how many abilities you learn for other jobs. Abilities are learned through a character's equipment. This is both good and bad. It's simple to gain ability points, all you have to do is finish a battle. However, learning abilities is a slow task. While most can be learned in one or two battles, the fact that most battles will take a while to finish makes learning abilities take a little longer. Additionally, once you start needing 300 or 400 Ability Points to learn an ability, it's that much longer. Along those lines, since it goes based on your equipment, it's not always a good idea to go into battle with the best equipment. In terms of strategy, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 emphasizes it more so than most Strategy RPGs out there. A slight hiccup in your jobs or abilities can cost you a battle. The strategy involved in the game is very in-depth.

Another feature that returns from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is the judge system. In every battle there are certain laws you must obey. To compensate, however, the judge also lets you have a privilege that will boost certain stats like strength, agility, etc. Breaking a law doesn't have nearly as harsh of a punishment this time around. If you break the law you lose your privilege and you can't revive any fallen characters. You'll want to follow the law as much as possible. Doing so can net you some bonus items, some of which are rare. The judge system works better in Tactics A2, but it still suffers the same problems. There are simple laws to obey such as not using a specific spell in combat, but there are still some outright ridiculous laws to beware of. In one battle, for example, it was against the law to miss the enemy.

The game also lets you use the stylus if you want. While the stylus controls seem like a perfect fit, they'll often slow you down. It's to the point where the stylus controls feel more tacked on than anything else.

Visually, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is breathtaking. The battlefields are very well designed and colorful. The sprites are detailed as are the characters portraits. The spell animations are also pretty good looking, vibrant and colorful. What's even better is the games overall art design which is nothing short of fantastic. If there was anything to fret over, it would be that the game is isometric 3D and not fully 3D. This means that the camera stays fixed throughout the entire battle. You can't rotate it or anything and that'll become a problem when your characters get bunched up and you can't see them. The top screen is used to display the turn order by showing the sprites. It's detailed but the sprites also looks a little pixelated when they're enlarged on the top screen. Nonetheless, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is an incredible looking game.

In terms of music, most of it you'll have heard before. Much of the music you here in Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is remixed from either Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, or Final Fantasy XII. Most of it is good music, although if you didn't really like the soundtrack to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or Final Fantasy XII, you probably won't find this one to be too memorable either.

In the end Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is a better game than Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, but still doesn't manage to be as memorable as the original Final Fantasy Tactics. While it has a forgettable storyline, it's deep, strategic and engaging gameplay will keep the player immersed for hours to come.

Good graphics, good but slow-paced gameplay, extremely childish story

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game having played the original Final Fantasy Tactics for playstation a long time ago and I assumed this would be more of the same. I was part right; the combat system is deep and complex. Graphically, the game's animations are excellent. However, during combat you must sit and watch these same animations many times over. The animations combined with lots of menu interaction generally makes single battles take a very long time, around 15-30 minutes each.

The worst part of this game however, is its story. I knew from the reviews I read that the story would be childish, but I thought that it would not be such a big deal. I didn't realize just how infantile it was. If I had, I might not have bought it. The story must have literally been targeted to kids who just learned how to read, which is strange because most kids that age would probably have trouble learning the game's complex combat system. I feel extremely silly at 26 years old having to click through it all. I would recommend watching a few movies of this game's cutscenes to see just how relentlessly corny it is before you buy it. Aside from that it's a good game.

...A Great Stand Alone Game and Sequel...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

In the same vain as its predecessor, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 welcomes you once again to the world of Ivalice where you are reintroduced to the various races/inhabitants of the world: Bangaa, Nu Mou, Viera, Moogle, and the Humans/Humes. This time around, there is the introduction of two new races and a series of new job classes as well.

Graphics:

For everyone familar with FFTA, you would know the worlds were rich with detail and color and the characters animated quite nicely out on the battlefield. Each race had their own appearances and features that made them distinguishable from the other races in the game.

FFTA2 retains its predecessor's graphics. While the game's graphical engine remains identical to its predecessor's, the special effects used for spell skill and tech animations are a breath of fresh air as they were all redone and appear quite flashy.

Story:

In the same vain as Marche in FFTA, Luso opens a book and finds himself immersed in the world of Ivalice. Most of the game is comprised of gameplay; however, the story slowly developes. While definitely not the highlight of the game, it is intereseting unless you found FFTA's story to be uninteresting.

Music/Sound:

Some of FFTA's music can be heard throughout the game. A portion of the game's soundtrack is all new. One of the boss themes were straight from Final Fantasy XII. The music is a light-hearted and beautiful symphony that creates its very own mood varying from battle to battle and scenarios/situations.

The sounds and sound effects are similar to that of FFTA. The same can be said about the sounds each character makes when they are KO'd, but with better audio quality.

Control/Playability:

The game has a 30-60 minute learning curve. Similar to FFTA, the game puts you in a tutorial scenario; however, the game immediately throws you into a real battle this time. It can be thought that the game may have somewhat assumed you've played its predecessor; though, still taking the time out to teach you the basics.

The game is FULL of customization. With the inclusion of two new races AND a series of new jobs (some including the "extra" job classes introduced in the Advance version of Final Fantasy V) you would be spending a lot of time customizing your clan members alone.

There are SOME new objectives present in this sequel. Some jobs may require you to pick up items on the battle field OR simply visit a series of locations on the map to complete quests.

The Law System:

Its back, but is a lot less annoying (or detrimental) to battles this time around. Rather than a character breaking a law and getting thrown into prison, this time around, your clan loses the privilege you choose at the beginning of the match. In addition, you are unable to revive fallen clan members for the remainder of a battle.

Replayability:

This fits into a truly replayable game. Even after the Main Game is complete, there is still more to do. Customization plays into being one of the hugest reasons to replay the game.

Pros:
+This Game can be Played Over and Over!!! Better than Replayable
+Two New Races
+Many New Job Classes
+Improved Law System
+Varied Mission Objectives
+New Special Effects
+Great Music
+Some Cool Cameos

Cons:
-Story May be Childish or Unappealing...
-This story was used before...
-The Graphics Engine was used before
-The changed method of inheriting new equipment and Job Classes MIGHT be unappealing

Not the best SRPG but still okay

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 18, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I just finished this game and I have to say overall I wasn't impressed. I did over 225 quests before I went to the final battle so I spent a lot of time on this game. The story was pretty lame not really enough to keep you intrested. The game play itself was slow, some of the judges laws were just plain stupid and the payout for following them wasn't really worth it. The graphics were okay they reminded me of the 1st Zelda game that came out for the orginal nintendo. Overall the game is basic in every way once your done playing it there is nothing to make you remember it or to play it over again.

No story/ Great Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: July 21, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The story is practiclly non-existent, but the gameplay is addicting. Graphics are bright and smooth. Recomend this game for any strategy gamer looking to lose a few hundred hours!

An improvement in everything but story

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

For the most part Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is a great game. The game play is sharp and well organized and most importantly it is very fun to play. I keep finding myself saying that I'm only going to do one more quest but inevitably that will stretch out into several more. There is a good variety of quests and a great number of side quests so it should keep you entertained for a while The graphics, sound and music are about on par for a DS game in general and don't significantly detract from or enhance the game.

The game isn't perfect though. The most obvious defect is the games lackluster story. It comes of as a secondhand ripoff of "The Neverending Story" down right to the fact that naming a person transports the protagonist into the story. Also you will find that not all of classes were created equal and and at least one of them is downright useless.

Despite this the overall quality of the game manages to shines through and makes this game a worthy addition to anyone's collection.

A nice game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is a nice game and to me improves allot in comparison to its predecessor on the gameboy advanced. The graphics are nice and smooth and there are tons of features and job classes to sink into as well. My only complaint is with its ridiculous law system. The laws sometimes state you cannot cause more damage that set amount or your not allowed to miss a target. I mean its a little absurd. Another thing I am not happy about is the fact that random battles do not occur to help you train through the classes and get your characters stronger for quests you want to take on. The last thing I am disappointed with is the fact that you cannot keep monsters you tame in Final Fantasy Tactics on the PSOne you could not only capture monsters to join your team but level them up to become advanced versions of themselves and sometimes you would even get them to breed and you could raise new ones to help you fight in battle. But I guess allot of my disappointments arise from the fact that I really really liked the first Final Fantasy Tactics and nothing has come close to reviving its glory.

Great game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: July 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is quite a step up from the original Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced (though still in my opinion not as good as the original). I would have given it 5 stars had I not also picked up Tactics Ogre (for the advance), which is by far a more in depth and amazing game. Even for how old it is.

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