FF Tactics A2

Well, as if we didn't already know, it's officially a sequel to GBA's FF Tactics Advance. Even though the title is FFTactics "A2," based on these screens it's pretty obvious what it REALLY is.

Ah, yes, return to a world of magic and danger around every corner...! Only, not so much, because there are judges who tell you what kinds of weapons you're allowed to use in combat, which change daily and can send you to THE SLAMMER.

"When you get a red card, you go to the slammer."
"The slammer?"
"It's another word for jail."

Thanks for the briefing... I can already feel the pain coming back...

For the uninformed, PSP owners are getting an FFT remake, with a few enhancements, and DS owners get to babysit this little brat.

Re: FF Tactics A2 screens

Well, it might still be better than FFTA, I don't find it surprising that it'll use some of the same mechanics. I just hope it'll be worth it in the end.

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Aazealh said:

Well, it might still be better than FFTA, I don't find it surprising that it'll use some of the same mechanics. I just hope it'll be worth it in the end.

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It's not just the mechanics, these even look like the exact same sprites as before. I bet you moogles will still look like a rabbit in the character profile. What was with that anyway?

I'm just not too thrilled about this. The first game was an embarassment.

PS: "SNOWBALL FIGHT!"

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Walter said:

It's not just the mechanics, these even look like the exact same sprites as before. I bet you moogles will still look like a rabbit in the character profile. What was with that anyway?

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Well there's no need to guess. I think it's been like that for a while anyway. Personally I'm more concerned about Cid's look (the brown skinned guy), he's a fucking mess. I can't speak about the sprites because to be honest, I can't remember anything about the game, even though I went pretty far in (almost to the end in fact) before forsaking it. I tried searching what mission I was at earlier today and nothing rang any bell, I was even surprised to see all the similar references the game shares with FFXII, even though I know they're both set in the same universe.

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Yeah, that's just gorgeous. I can't help but be bitter after the awesome precedent FFT set up on the playstation. Now it's just, to quote that kid in Back to the Future II, "like a baby's toy!"

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I liked the first part somewhat, though it had a sucky story and the gameplay was very repetitive..
Hope this one has a better story.

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haha, the 3rd picture that Walter has posted shows the race that "Cid" is. Goofy shit!

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I wish that we could get a DS FF Tactics that followed the mold of the original PSX game. I played through FFTA, and was quite disappointed. This game just looks like more of the same.

Here's a quick thought: now that Sega is on the Nintendo bandwagon, who wouldn't want to see Shining Force III ported to the DS, or even Dragon Force, for that matter. I would much rather see someone port those long neglected Saturn RPGs and turn based strategy games than just have Square keep rehashing the same old formulas. I'm still buying whatever Square churns out as a consumer whore, but the DS needs better RPGs and strategy games.

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bph said:

I wish that we could get a DS FF Tactics that followed the mold of the original PSX game. I played through FFTA, and was quite disappointed. This game just looks like more of the same.

Here's a quick thought: now that Sega is on the Nintendo bandwagon, who wouldn't want to see Shining Force III ported to the DS, or even Dragon Force, for that matter. I would much rather see someone port those long neglected Saturn RPGs and turn based strategy games than just have Square keep rehashing the same old formulas. I'm still buying whatever Square churns out as a consumer whore, but the DS needs better RPGs and strategy games.

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InDEED to all you've said, dude. RPGs are the DS' weakest department, so far. I've played through Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time twice now just out of boredom It's a fun game, but I crave more.

This is another reason I'm pissed at FFTA2. It could have been (and sure, may still be) a solid strategy game to flesh out the genre for the handheld, but so far it just looks like more watered down mechanics and babysitting. It's such a slap in the face to how all-around awesome FFT was. Why does FFTA deserve a direct sequel and not the original?

(I say direct because some would argue FFTA is a spiritual sequel to FFT, but they would be SORELY MISTAKEN )

Re: FF Tactics A2 screens

bph said:

Here's a quick thought: now that Sega is on the Nintendo bandwagon, who wouldn't want to see Shining Force III ported to the DS, or even Dragon Force, for that matter. I would much rather see someone port those long neglected Saturn RPGs and turn based strategy games than just have Square keep rehashing the same old formulas. I'm still buying whatever Square churns out as a consumer whore, but the DS needs better RPGs and strategy games.

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Excellent idea. I love the Shining games (the ones I've played anyways), and the batteries in my old Genesis carts are pretty much dead. They ought to just put out a collection like Capcom did with Megaman. I still need to get around to finding a copy of Shining Force I for the GBA.

Re: FF Tactics A2 screens

bph said:

who wouldn't want to see Shining Force III ported to the DS, or even Dragon Force, for that matter.

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Or Shining Force II for that matter, it wasn't ported on the GBA either. And while we're at it I'm still waiting for the Vandal Hearts DS game that had been announced waaaay back before the DS' release. But really Wally, I don't think you can say the NDS is weak as far as RPGs go, it's just not true with all the stuff that's coming out. Tactic-RPGs specifically are lacking, but even then it's not like nothing's being developed.

It's definitely more of the same, based on the screens and movies I've seen so far. Unfortunately, the judge system is alive and intact, and the battle system itself looks even more simplified than it already was between the FFT and FFTA transition. Whoopee. Ugh... why can't we have an FFT sequel that wasn't designed for 8-year-olds?

Some new vids: http://media.ds.ign.com/media/869/869381/vids_1.html

Walter said:

It's definitely more of the same, based on the screens and movies I've seen so far. Unfortunately, the judge system is alive and intact, and the battle system itself looks even more simplified than it already was between the FFT and FFTA transition. Whoopee. Ugh... why can't we have an FFT sequel that wasn't designed for 8-year-olds?

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I think you're being a bit harsh here. I can see how people would think the game's aimed at kids, what with the cutesy graphics (although a lot of Tactical RPGs feature similar designs) and the light-hearted plot (it's basically a boy being sent to Ivalice and deciding to have adventures there, and then you mostly just do missions as part of a bounty hunting clan), but the game mechanics don't seem to have been simplified to me. In fact with more jobs, more parameters and possibilities I'd say it's more complex. Even the Judge system, which I personality abhor, is an attempt to complicate things and bring forth more strategy. Also, it's worth noting that the Judge system was changed in a significant way as I believe I've already mentioned in the past: now, respecting laws will award you bonus items at the end of a fight and not respecting them will just mean you don't get the bonus. Far less constraining than it was in FFTA. The game holds your hand a lot less too, I think the first battle of the game is the one with the giant Cockatrice that was shown in one of those 2 IGN videos you linked.

Of course it's not the epic sequel to FFT everybody's waiting for, but compared to the other stuff out, on any platforms, I don't think it's too bad. Anyway, one thing I noticed is that they're using music from FFXII. That's a nice touch, better than the insipid stuff in FFTA.

My biggest gripe with the original FFTA was that to get everything you had to play with someone else. I got to the endgame and went looking for info about the missing 30 or more missions and found that you had to connect to another player to get them.

I usualy don't have people around that play the same games, less so when its a couple years old, and I play on a DS and I don't think the wifi connects GBA games.

The judge system was a pain in the ass, but many games have such annoyances to overcome. It was great, though, the few times I had just the right law card on hand to completely disable the enemy party. Horrible though when I'd see "Damage to Monsters" on an all monster encounter without a relevent antilaw.

Sounds like you have been paying more attention then me; Is FFTA2 in a storybook world again or actualy in Ivalice?

If nothing else I've got War of the Lions for tactical goodness as I go about my day.

Majin Tenshi said:

Sounds like you have been paying more attention then me; Is FFTA2 in a storybook world again or actualy in Ivalice?

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It's a storybook thing again, as the subtitle implies. Basically there's a boy called Luso that's punished because he's done some pranks and locked up in a library, he goes and writes his name in an old grimoire and boom, he's transported in Ivalice. Once there he basically decides to go on adventures instead of going back to his world right away and that's it. From what I gathered the plot is quasi-inexistant, nothing more than an excuse to have you fight in Ivalice again.

Aazealh said:

I think you're being a bit harsh here. I can see how people would think the game's aimed at kids, what with the cutesy graphics (although a lot of Tactical RPGs feature similar designs) and the light-hearted plot (it's basically a boy being sent to Ivalice and deciding to have adventures there, and then you mostly just do missions as part of a bounty hunting clan)...

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Let me stop you right there... forrrrr aaaaaaa ... SNOWBALL FIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!

Sorry, this will probably just amount to a rant, but I was so disappointed by FFTA after being excited for an FFT sequel that I simply can't look beyond it and rationally view it as a decent title. It's a blight on the franchise thanks to the arbitrary law system, kiddified story (seriously, from a war to a playground fight?), nonexistant character development and broken class system ( I was able to breeze through about 80% of the game using the Monk's Wave Fist ability).

FFTA: I'll never forgive/forget

Well, at least there's no snowball fight in this new one.

I think I might throw my hat into this here ring.

Being a poor Englishman, I never had the chance to play Final Fantasy Tactics for the PS(X) back in the day, nor did my fellow Europeans. I had heard plenty about it from various friends living in America and a couple of die-hard fans in my town. So when FFTA rolled into town, I snapped it up. I had no idea what to expect and had never played an SRPG/TRPG before, but I immediately fell in love with the system. Not only that, but I was happy that something involving Ivalice other than Vagrant Story was in my possession (I love Ivalice, I'll admit it). The system was great and I easily spent 200+ on FFTA if you add all my play-throughs up.

Yes, I thought the story was kind of fluffy and the Judge system was irksome -- but both were issues that I could live with. The Judge system made you think about where/when you take clans on and added a STRATEGIC/TACTICAL element. I won't confess to loving them, nor will I claim that I didn't curse up a storm when I illegally "attacked" on accident in the later stages of the game (that is when the Laws just got fucking stupid). But still, the overall experience left me impressed and I put it away on my shelf with an air of fondness for the little FFT spin-off.

The main reason why I am excited about FFTA2 is that I finally have something to play on the DS¹! It's technically my wife's (Reggie would be happy), but I am a little cheesed off about the lack of titles I want to play on it. Would I have rather had this on the PSP? Yes. The double-screen thing is "cool" and all that, but who really uses the summons? Worthless, all of them. I disagree that this is a "kids" game, but it's definitely aimed at a younger audience. The complexities of the game are there for us who like to really flesh the jobs system out and "get your moneys worth" –– but I'll reiterate that this Ivalice Alliance title is, like FFTA, aimed to get more people to buy SE games and they're doing it on a console that is selling faster than hot cakes at a Snowball Fighting tournament. And its not just FFTA2 either (see FFXII:RW; almost as unnecessary as FFTA2). And that is completely fair and logical, even if it does piss the "hardcore" fans off (see Nintendo's demographic for more of this).

FFT might get a sequel in the future, but will most likely see a PSP rendition. Disgaea 3 is showing us what a waste of processor power tactical RPG's are. If not FFT2, something else with Ivalice is bound to come our way. Whether it comes as a beaker of sugary, room temperature juice or a bitterly cold keg of thick, dark and unforgiving stout is anyone guess (with the exception of Squenix, of course). In the mean time, I intend to nab a PSP for X-Mas and get cracking with FFT:TWOTL. I've got a friend who broke the bloody clock on the original, so it seems I've got a lot to do


¹: IF IT IS RELEASE OUTSIDE OF JAPAN.

Uriel said:

The Judge system made you think about where/when you take clans on and added a STRATEGIC/TACTICAL element. I won't confess to loving them, nor will I claim that I didn't curse up a storm when I illegally "attacked" on accident in the later stages of the game (that is when the Laws just got fucking stupid).

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Just a side note, but personally I'd have been fine with the Judge system if it had been more reasonable. Like "no ranged attacks" or "no fire spells", that sort of stuff. But "NO SWORDS" and "NO ATTACK"? Fuck this bullshit, that's just retarded.

Uriel said:

Would I have rather had this on the PSP? Yes. The double-screen thing is "cool" and all that, but who really uses the summons? Worthless, all of them.

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The advantages of the game being on the NDS are highly lowered by the fact the team was too lazy to implement touch screen features (which are just perfect for Tactical-RPGs), that's for sure. However, dual screens are awesome most of the time, whether it's to see status screens or maps at all times while playing. Personally I find it invaluable when well exploited now that I've seen it at work in so many games.

Uriel said:

FFT might get a sequel in the future, but will most likely see a PSP rendition.

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No way. With the way things are going right now, PSP owners will be lucky if Square-Enix releases another major original title before the console's death (I'm exaggerating here, but not much unfortunately). I remember reading a while back in an interview or something that if they made a true sequel to FFT, it'd be on a non-handheld console. Meaning it'd be a major title to rival games like Disgaea.

Final Fantasy Tactics to my knowledge isn't getting a sequel. The director commented that he would love to remake it (article=google, me=too lazy) in the way the cel shaded cutscenes are presented in the PSP remake/port on a next gen console. As for timeline, I used to theorize XII took place after Tactics' Ivalice, and that's because Saint Ajora's "trickery" was already mentioned in the bestiary as happening millennium ago. However, according to the Japanese XII, "Saint" Ajora is female in said bestiary, and the ultimania places the events of XII before Tactics and then asks after the fact if the female and male Ajora are one and the same (confusing), Balthier supposedly being from the past in the remake...eh, it all goes to shit. I really gave up on trying to make an Ivalice timeline.

Also, when I replayed Tactics about a year or two back, it felt a lot like Berserk in some areas. Probably the only one I guess?

As for A2...I feel pretty much the same about A1 as most of the people in this thread. I might check it out some point down the road. As for PSP vs DS, Square Enix to me has been 50/50 on both consoles. Crisis Core helped boost things a bit, so I don't think Square's going to throw in the towel on the PSP anytime soon, but I highly doubt a sequel to tactics would be on the PSP or any handheld for the matter.

Phoenix Wrong! said:

Also, when I replayed Tactics about a year or two back, it felt a lot like Berserk in some areas. Probably the only one I guess?

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The parallel's been drawn here before. I think it may have been influenced by Berserk, but as always, just superficially.

: Guts, what did you get? I... *blargh*

Walter said:

The parallel's been drawn here before. I think it may have been influenced by Berserk, but as always, just superficially.

: Guts, what did you get? I... *blargh*

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Yeah, I felt a lot of subliminal influences/coincidences, so I didn't want to rant off and make it seem like it was anything too extreme. And in general, my hope for Ivalice is a bit grim. Matsuno bailed about midway into XII and to my knowledge isn't working on anything anytime soon. Being that Tactics and XII are my two favorite FF pieces thus far, I'm a little disheartened.

Phoenix Wrong! said:

Matsuno bailed about midway into XII and to my knowledge isn't working on anything anytime soon. Being that Tactics and XII are my two favorite FF pieces thus far, I'm a little disheartened.

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There's always a chance for a Vagrant Story sequel. What's so cool about Ivalice anyway? It seems a pretty generic fantasy world to me.

Walter said:

There's always a chance for a Vagrant Story sequel. What's so cool about Ivalice anyway? It seems a pretty generic fantasy world to me.

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They set quality games in it and crappy ones in children's hallucinations of it?

Yeah, as much as I like the games set in Ivalice, the world itself never struck me as very remarkable.