First off, this game is the second installment in the Tactics Advanced series, and frankly, this one improves exactly where the first game was lacking. People say that I'm just partial to strategy/tactical RPGs, but games like this one are the reasons why.
STORYLINE:
The game follows the main character, Luso, through a very strange journey. When made to stay for detention on the last day of school, Luso finds himself in the school’s library cleaning the racks. He then stumbles upon a strange book that is not completely filled with text. When he reads the first sentence of the book, which asks for the name of the “hero”, he decides to continue the role of the vandal, and writes his name in the blank spot. Suddenly, a flash of light engulfs Luso and he is transferred to the world of Ivalice, where he must right wrongs, compete in contests, and banish evil in order to find his way home.
Fans of the first Tactics Advanced will recognize the similar plot of the main character being transported from his home world to Ivalice. However, the way this game handles the plot is more believable and more fun than the first. The main character is not in a state of loathing while he is away from home. In fact, Luso highly enjoys being in a world that is very similar to his favorite video game. Just by making the main character enjoy being in a new world, it makes the player enjoy the world also.
GAMEPLAY / MECHANICS:
Its battle system follows that of a tactical RPG, where you move characters around a battle map and select actions that they can learn by getting new equipment. If you’re looking for a real-time strategy or a full-on action game, this game may not be the right thing for you. The battles can be very slow paced, but very enjoyable.
When you’re not in battle, you travel along the world map by selecting locations with the cursor. The DS’s touch-screen capabilities come in handy here. If you know exactly where you want to go, just touch the location on the screen and the character will move there. The world map is, in a way, a game of its own. There are plenty of things that can happen on the world map, such as random battles and events that can appear, based on the game’s calendar. For instance, on certain days of the month, a new clan member will be in a certain location and will join your party if you wish them too. Soon you’ll figure out that there is a method to this chain of events, and plan your trips accordingly to increase your party.
A great feature about this game is that you can totally customize your entire clan, including your main character. You even get to give your clan a fancy name (I named mine Highwind, after the airship in FFVII). There are over 50 different “job classes” that your characters can learn the abilities of. Not to mention that you can choose which characters and which species you would like to have on your team. By this, you can have a clan of over 20 members, each member with his or her own set of abilities.
GRAPHICS:
The graphics of this game are pretty tame; nothing too spectacular to write home about. The scenes where you summon Espers and other Summons are very well animated and there is really nothing to complain about. Everything is animated very smoothly and there are never moments where I thought something looked very poor.
MUSIC & SFX:
The music of this game is very recognizable, using but remixing some tracks from its predecessors. To some this may sound like the developers were lazy, but the tracks have a fresh new feel and definitely add to the game's appeal. There are, of course, brand new tracks that bring this game to life. Though many fans have been missing Nobou Uematsu (the CRITICALLY acclaimed original composer for the Final Fantasy games) Hitoshi Sakimoto’s new style is definitely welcomed to the series.
ANALYSIS:
If you’ve ever played the original Final Fantasy Tactics for the original Playstation, and think that this one will be very similar in plot and mechanics, you couldn’t be more wrong. Take it from a fan of the original; this game is similar in battle-style and name only. The plot is very different from the original’s and shares almost no similarities in game mechanics.
Many people say that you should play this game just for the customization, but to me there was a lot more to it than that. Sure, the story is very similar and they don’t have too many new innovations to the series, but FFTA2 was unique in its own way. The feel of this sequeal is very different than that of the first Tactics Advanced. Things are much smoother, including menus and battle techniques; the protagonist isn’t a dumb kid that you just want to quit complaining. Overall, this game can be enjoyed by anybody who likes a simple game that has a few tricks up its sleeve.
FFTA2 is fairly easy, and takes almost no time to learn all of the mechanics, rules, and limitations of it. I recommend it to anybody who enjoys the Final Fantasy series and wants a break from the normal storylines. I also think that anybody who just enjoys a simple and fun game will find this climbing to the top of their favorite lists in no time. I know it did for me.
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