- Genre: Strategy
- Spoiler Free Review: Yes.
- Time Played: 100+ Hours
- Too Short/Long: It honestly didn't really feel too long, but there are things I did and some choices I made that I would have done differently to cut that playtime down a bit.
- Did I cry: No.
- Soundtrack: It's okay. Sometimes even pretty good, but due to the nature of the game, there are some tracks you will just hear far more than others and it feels a bit repetitive.
- Why I played: Final Fantasy Tactics miiight have been the first Final Fantasy game I actually played. At least it's the first one I remember playing. I never finished it though, and The Ivalice Chronicles gave me a good reason to revisit it.
- Jank: It's mostly polished, as they've "cleaned up" the game in certain aspects. I think a little bit of jank remains in game design that shows it's age, but it mostly holds up well so it's not very distracting.
- Difficulty: There are times when this game is damn difficult. It keeps things balanced pretty well and does a good job of making everything a challenge. Making it feel... tactical. You can't just steamroll the entire battlefield and call it a day. You can't just go back to old levels and grind with your eyes closed - and grinding doesn't really make your character more powerful necessarily, it just gives them more options(which in turn can make your build stronger, but a character rarely outclasses enemies, generally speaking)
- Something I liked: I kind of already address it just above - but I really appreciate the effort that went into keeping the game balanced. While at times frustrating, it is also probably what kept me engaged.
- Pleased/Disappointed: I'm very pleased. It definitely remains one of the best Final Fantasy spin-offs, and I can see why some people say it's their favorite of all. It kind of makes me want to play other games that take place in Ivalice.
- Recommend to others: I would definitely recommend it. Sooner to strategy fans than Final Fantasy. While it does have a number of the Final Fantasy mainstays, it's generally pretty different in feel. Sure there are chocobos, you can summon shiva and ifrit, class changes and a story about gathering crystals, but the tone and style are very different from most Final Fantasy games. Except maybe 16, and probably 12 considering the setting - but 12 is the one I've played the least of(only about an hour).
As I mentioned Final Fantasy Tactics is likely the first Final Fantasy I played, probably not long after it's release considering I know I also played and finished FF7 in 1998. Though, I was borrowing it from a friend and didn't get it myself until after playing several more Final Fantasy games and just didn't get super far into it. Maybe I finished Chapter 1 previously, but as soon as I hit Chapter 2 this playthrough, I started seeing things that seemed wholly unfamiliar.
I got a lot of strategy games back in the day, but honestly I don't know if I beat very many at all. I think I just liked the plethora of characters they would have - especially if they let you use monsters on your team. Nothing has changed in that respect, I've always wanted to have or be the monsters.