Published on: 17th June, 2009
Everyone will always remember Final Fantasy VII on the PS1, but die-hard fans of the series also remember another title, one that didn’t get anywhere near enough recognition but was arguably as good (or even better) than FFVII: Final Fantasy Tactics. Certainly an all-time favorite of ours at PSXE, we’ve been hoping for a true-blue console sequel for a decade now, and unfortunately, we haven’t seen it. However, we did get the next best thing, which is a remake of the original classic for the PSP. This one features slightly enhanced visuals, a few added cut-scenes, and the addition of a brand new Job Class, which is more than enough to entice any fan of the initial title. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions doesn’t boast a huge amount of bonus content and is, for the most part, the same game only with a glossier look. However, that being said, this remains the single best strategy/RPG in history, and while the genre remains very small and probably won’t make it past this generation, things like the Disgaea series keeps it alive.
Visually, fans of the original will notice the difference in how some of the summons look and, of course, the added cut-scenes. Besides that, there isn’t much to talk about; we basically have a game with 10-year-old graphics, here. Therefore, this category is the primary shortcoming of The War of the Lions, even though it certainly wasn’t a drawback in 1997. Back then, a lot of this game was actually very pretty, with some of the best sprite modeling we had ever seen. As of now, we can only call the graphical presentation “quaint,” because that implies simple and charming, which is probably accurate. We can’t very well compare it to current-generation games, because even some handheld titles outstrip this remake. Many who purchase the FFT remake will likely be familiar with the visuals, but if you’re not, just expect some slightly refined PlayStation-era graphics with a decent amount of detail and color. It’s not flashy – although some of the bigger summons still look pretty cool – but it’s solid and consistent. Besides, the graphics aren’t the focus, anyway.
There is no voice acting – remember, this is an older game – but the soundtrack and effects are top-notch for a strat/RPG. The game had some great dialogue (despite the iffy translation), and even though we can’t hear speech, we do get a chance to revel in the sweeping orchestral productions and excellent battle effects. Really, the sound was always one of the more appealing facets of FFT, and that hasn’t changed in the slightest. As far as we can tell, there are no major updates in this category as there clearly are with the graphics, but that’s okay. Nothing really needed to be updated. This isn’t the type of game that would be better suited for a different set of tracks, and there was never any issue with the combat effects. Everything is spot-on and there’s even a surprising amount of diversity throughout. After all this time, the sound of Final Fantasy Tactics remains stellar, and in some cases, can even outstrip that of modern-day video game productions. Now, that’s saying a lot. Heck, when the sound is this good, who really needs voice acting, anyway?
At its core, FFT was always about the gameplay. It’s why there are those of us who claim it’s the best strat/RPG ever; the balance, variety, style, challenge and solidarity are all top-notch. None of this has changed in the slightest, and with the addition of a new Job Class, that’s just more frosting on an already delicious cake. For those of you who don’t know, we’ll offer a brief explanation: the game is turn-based strategy, where you bring a team of up to five onto a grid-shaped battlefield. This battlefield is comprised of squares, which dictates character movement and position. Unlike pure turn-based strategy games like Disgaea, speed is a factor, in that faster units will move before others (in true turn-based, all units of one team move and act, than the other team goes). Here, you have to consider the strategy of speed; how far a character can move and how long it will take to execute an action. This is the inherent challenge of FFT and one of its most endearing qualities, primarily because it’s ceaselessly entertaining for strategy junkies who want to get everything perfect.
As you play, new locations will open up on the world map, and each spot on the map indicates a potential battle or a town/castle. You can’t actually explore any of these locales on foot – you merely select from a menu when in town to hire new units, buy equipment, go to the bar for rumors, etc. – but that’s not really the point. You will spend the vast majority of your time in combat, and that’s certainly not a bad thing. After all, that amazing Job system lies at the center of the gameplay, and it’s one of the most robust and fully realized character advancement methods ever seen in the industry. There are over 20 Jobs to unlock and experiment with, and each Job contains dozens of different abilities. Best of all, while a character can only hold one Job at any given time, he/she can also equip a skill set from one other Job, plus three more learned abilities from any available Job. As you progress, your character and Job level will increase; the characters don’t max until 99 but the Job class maxes at Lv. 8. And in order to unlock the better Jobs, you’ll have to meet certain requirements.
For example, while moving up to a Lv. 2 Squire (which will probably only take one or two battles) opens up the Archer and Knight classes, you have to be a Lv. 3 Archer, Lv. 4 Thief, and Lv. 2 Geomancer to unlock the powerful Ninja class. Unfortunat
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Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions | 
