A 1/2 Review...Final Fantasy VI!
For years, I have heard two things (and I will avoid numerals for this review...). One...that Final Fantasy 7 was the best Final Fantasy and had the best Final Fantasy villain. Two...that Final Fantasy 6 was the best Final Fantasy and had the best Final Fantasy villain. This is where I've found that there are three camps of Final Fantasy fans (although it applies to most RPGs, but I'm sticking with this series for right now.).
Camp 1: The Old School Die Hard---these fans tend to love the originals because of their nostalgic value, medieval setting, and more majestic storylines.
Camp 2: The Next Generation Die Hard---these fans tend to love the later entries because of their showcasing of technology, dark/bleak setting (a la Blade Runner), and innovative systems like limit breaks and materia.
Camp 3: The Die Hard Final Fantasy Fan (what'd ya think I was going to say?)---these fans tend to respect and love all the games, and maybe dislike just one or two but whose reasons have no relation to Camps 1 and 2.
Obviously, Camp 1 will often claim Final Fantasy 6 or 9 as the best entry (maybe even 4), while Camp 2 will very, very likely claim that 7 is the best. Camp 3 is mixed, although I've found a few of those happen to like the third game the best.
As much as I respect and enjoy Final Fantasy 7, I gravitate towards the first camp because that's the style that I grew up on. I like swords, sorcery, and high stakes. I keep an open mind, but a game like Final Fantasy 4 or Chrono Trigger is like a soldier returning home for me. Anyways, without further explanation, here's my review for Final Fantasy 6.
This game has a very complex plot and despite its totally separate storyline from 7, it is a wonderful lead-in for that game. The world has previously gone through a horrific "War of the Magi" in which the Espers' powers were misused and brought great destruction (Espers are Summons, essentially). The Espers were given free will but their powers were sealed, never again to be used by man. The main character, essentially, is Terra (or Tina, depending on the translation you're playing), a half-Esper/half-human that went through excruciating circumstances before taking control of her life. There's a slew of characters you meet in the entire game; Locke is a treasure hunter with the Steal technique. Edgar is the king of Figaro, an engineer, and twin brother of Sabin. Sabin had forsaken his royal heritage to study Martial Arts. Celes is a former imperial soldier who also has Esper powers due to their experiments on her (and can absorb magic through her swords). Cyan was the king of Doma, a kingdom of Samurai, and he seeks revenge on Kefka. There's also Shadow, a ninja with a mysterious past and has a dog named Interceptor that aids him when he needs it. There are other memorable characters that include Setzer (a gambler) and a feral child named Gau, but I'll leave you to discover the others (preferably by playing the game, but I suppose I can't stop you from Wikipedia-ing it).
Although it appears Emperor Gestahl is the main villain in the beginning, our main antagonist is Kefka. While other villains like Sephiroth (7) and Kuja (9) have interesting motives, Kefka has my stamp of approval for being the absolute best villain in the series. I've got three reasons why.
1. He is the most ruthless villain in the series. He wipes out the entire kingdom of Doma by poisoning the water (including Cyan's family), captures the Esper god statues and unleashes terror, and shows unconditional contempt for the good qualities in humanity. He turns on his emperor in the blink of an eye, hungry for the power of the Espers.
2. He is one of the goofiest tyrants I've ever seen in a video game. Before he marches off to Figaro, he orders his soldiers to wipe the sand from and off his boots (Figaro is in the desert). He also torments Cyan for his misfortune, repeatedly laughing in his face. When the heroes confront him before the final battle, he says HATE HATE HATE over and over and over again, shaking his fists in an anime-sort of way. He also has that funny laugh that makes its way into Chrono Trigger.
3. He has one of the coolest boss themes in any video game, period.
The game takes on a late industrial/western feel to it, largely in part to the artists and Nobou Uematsu's variant score. Uematsu hit a bullseye in scoring this puppy; from Terra's slow, journeyman-like theme to Shadow's spaghetti western-style theme, to some of the catchiest battle music you've ever heard in your life, to the ragtime/opera suites in the more artsy sections of the game...the music score overall is perhaps Uematsu's most diverse music that I've ever heard in a video game. There are majestic moments that will remind you of Final Fantasies 4 or 9, but here is where the two camps merge into one. Magic is dying out in the storyline, and the music reflects that.
Awesome music, adventorous map (there's two "worlds" by the way, play and find out...), complex plot, interesting characters (ALL of them having a unique skill) and the ability to have up to four fighting at once, innovative battle systems (there's three points in the game where you split your characters into two or three teams, depending on where you are in the game, and you can switch between them and fight a lot of battles), gameplay longevity without ever getting boring...I have not found any fault in this game, and while I do find it to be a long game, it does have a replay value to it.
So who do I recommend this to? Because of its difficulty level (which isn't impossible, but it may be troublesome if you've never played an RPG before), I might suggest trying Final Fantasies 4 or 7 first, but if you happen to be in the third camp that loves both of those games, I guarantee that you will enjoy this game. It is the perfect lead-in to Final Fantasy 7 by aesthetics and setting alone, and I can't think of a better way to intrigue both the medieval Fantasy fans and the more modern Fantasy fans. I also guarantee that you will love the characters and love their backstories.
Saddle up, turn on the nostalgic dial, grab your weapon of choice, and march into battle for one of the greatest adventures that Squaresoft (er, Square Enix...) has to offer. I see no reason why you would dislike this game. Perhaps the best Final Fantasy game in existence, with FF4 and FF9 in close proximity and FF7 following those.
Recommendations:
1. Chrono Trigger (classic SNES game)
2. Super Mario RPG (SNES, the perfect beginner's RPG)
3. Final Fantasy 4 (worthy RPG for the first-time fan)
4. Castlevania Symphony of the Night (a combination of classic RPG elements and Super Metroid-style gameplay)
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One of the Finest Fantasies Out There
Final Fantasy Tactics was without a doubt one of the greatest Playstation games out there. Starting off as a cult classic it became a big success when it was released later as a Greatest Hits package. Ten years later and Final Fantasy Tactics is still one of the best Final Fantasy games ever made.
Of all the Final Fantasy games, Tactics has arguably the best story out there. It's full of emotion, political intrigue, fantastic characters and it's very deep. If this is your first trump through Final Fantasy Tactics, prepare to be dazzled. It's still one of the most absorbing in the series. To the point where you'll be sad to leave when the whole thing is over. The game is also backed up by a fantastic new translation that out does the original and makes the world of Ivalice come alive. The translation alone may actually warrant Final Fantasy Tactics The War of the Lions worth a buy even for those who played through the original game.
It's the gameplay that makes Final Fantasy Tactics a treat, though. Thanks to the job system, customization is nearly endless. Before each battle you can assign jobs to your characters. Each job has specific traits about them and can greatly affect how you perform in battle. Mages have devastating magic abilities while Knights are strong physical attackers. They also bring their own unique abilities to the table. Because there are so many job classes to choose from, there's a lot of experimentation you can do. As you master abilities you'll also be able to mix and match. You could have a Squire casting white magic, for example provided you've learned some of the white magic abilities.
As battles progress you gain experience. You pretty much gain experience after each and every turn, which is nice. Not only do you gain experience but you also gain job points to help you master the abilities in your job class. It's pretty simple stuff and you'll be surprised at just how fast you can learn abilities here.
Final Fantasy Tactics provides its own challenges, though. Not all your enemies are taken down easily, and if you don't take advantage of the opportunities to improve your characters abilities you'll be overwhelmed before you know it. When they say Final Fantasy Tactics, they're not kidding. Sometimes little simple mishaps in your strategy can cost you a battle. Not only that, but even doing things such as casting spells you must be careful with because if any of your characters are in range, they'll be struck by that spell. You also have to be quick about reviving characters otherwise you lose them forever. If your first plunge into Final Fantasy Tactics was with the GBA version released in 2003 you'll be in for a rude awakening.
There is also a multiplayer thrown in there. You can work with a friend or battle friends. First there are melee battles where you can battle up against friends and then there's the Rendezvous Battles where you'll team up with a friend. These let you get some rare and hard to find items that are otherwise unable to be obtained.
While Final Fantasy Tactics is a great game, it certainly doesn't do as much in the technical department as it does in the gameplay. The game itself doesn't really look any different from the game released ten years ago. There's little, if any, enhancement to the graphics at all. For the pleasure of story, however, there are some pretty cool cutscenes thrown in that are incredible looking. These cutscenes are truly artistic and in depth. While those cutscenes are beautiful, it's a shame Square-Enix did little to update the games other visuals. Despite the cool cutscenes, though, there are some slow down issues in battle.
Music wise, though, Final Fantasy Tactics easily has some of the best music in the series. It's still memorable to hear and can still give many video game soundtracks a run for their money. While the voice acting isn't as good as other video games, they add a lot of depth to the cutscenes.
Surprisingly, there are quite a few differences outside of the translation to Final Fantasy Tactics The War of the Lions. New characters such as Balthier appear. There are new missions exclusive to the PSP version as well as the multiplayer aspect of the game. While there aren't a huge assortment of new items and abilities, you'll find War of the Lions takes a much longer time to master than the original.
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions is a great re-release of a great classic. While it's still a good game a bit more could've been done to update it. The technical issues will probably annoy some fans, but for the most part you're getting a good game. Even if you have the original, this one is worth a look.
Pros:
+A fantastic storyline
+Beautiful soundtrack
+New job classes
+Good cutscenes
+Addictive gameplay
+Tons of customization
+The New Translation is far better than the original, making even the experience of the story completely different for those who went through before. This alone makes the game worth a purchase for those who already went through it and enjoyed it once before
Cons:
-Will be difficult for newcomers
-Some technical issues with the graphics and sound
-Not much of a graphical update at all, it looks just like the original Playstation version
Remake of a PS1 Classic
This review was written by my son, James Shea
A remake of the hit game for the PS1, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions updates many of the little pieces of the original game in addition to carrying the game over to the Playstation Portable platform. It has been 10 years since the original's release; now the update brings it to a new generation.
As a refresher for those unfamiliar with the original game, Final Fantasy Tactics is a turn-based tactical game using many of the abilities and classes made familiar in the Final Fantasy series of games. The story takes place in the kingdom of Ivalice, where civil war has erupted following a great war against foreign enemies and the death of the old king. The main character, Ramza, must navigate these mazes of treachery and deceit to discover the true secret of the ancient prophecies that govern the kingdom.
The English translation to the original was notoriously bad, with such lines as "I got a good feeling!" and "Bracelet" used instead of "Breath" (as in, a Dragon's breath). The main thing done by the remake was the rewriting/retranslating of almost the entire script to be much more period-appropriate. For the most part this is a good thing, matching the epic, elegant scale of the story, though certain fan-favorite lines were lost ("Don't blame us! Blame yourself or God!" and "Surrender, or die in obscurity!" being two of those). Many names were also changed; besides the re-familiarization of characters (for fans who got used to the old names), the only other problem is the abundance of "th" sounds to replace "s" sounds ("Algus" becomes "Argath", like how "Aeris" from Final Fantasy 7 became "Aerith" in later games).
In certain scenes, illustrated cinematics were used to replace the game-engine cutscenes or CG cutscenes used in the old versions. These cinematics have a distinct art style and coloring scheme and are very well done. These scenes also have voice acting, which is done with English accents similar to much of Final Fantasy XII. Several new scenes are also inserted to either add backstory to the game or to establish a new character. On that note, two new characters from other Final Fantasy games are recruitable through the story (much like Cloud from FF7 was and still is): Balthier from FFXII and Luso from the upcoming FFT Advance 2. Two new classes are also obtainable for regular (IE non-unique) characters. Onion Knight is gained by gaining levels in the two basic classes (chemist and squire) while, on the other end, Dark Knight is gained by gaining a high level of classes in many specialized classes.
The War of the Lions also adds a multiplayer mode, accessible through ad-hoc wireless (the PSPs must be within range of each other; no online mode is available). Through this, two players can either fight head-to-head or work cooperatively on unique missions. Characters do not die permanently in this mode, but there are treasures that can be gained from it, including some unique equipment. While it isn't as developed as it could be, its addition is certainly welcomed.
Graphically, the game is the same. While the older sprites might seem dated, the smaller screen means that they seem more artistic than pixelated. The only troubling spot is major slowdown when spells are cast or abilities are used; this problem is recurring and noticeable, but such is only to be expected with the transition between systems.
Final Fantasy Tactics is still acclaimed as one of the best games of all time. With this remake, there were a lot of worries that the original formula would be watered down. Fortunately, this is definitely not the case; the additions are almost entirely good, and make for a much more serious, solid experience. This game has done a great service in many ways to this classic game, despite occasional troubles.
Rating: 9/10.
Great Game, Some Flaws
Final Fantasy Tactics has long been my favorite videogame EVER. Nothing, I feel, has ever matched the original PS1 version of the game. Unfortunately, that still statement still stands.
I've always wanted a portable version of Final Fantasy Tactics, and when I heard it was coming to PSP I went and bought a PSP JUST FOR THIS GAME. I figured that with the fixed translation, new movies, and new content it would be pretty much the only game I would need for awhile.
Well, after sitting down and playing for hours, here is what I have to say:
Pros:
- The new animations are beautiful! And the voice acting is very well-done. So, big plus there.
- The new content is fun, and helpful (for understanding the plot)
- Multiplayer mode looks like it might be fun - unfortunately no one I know (and no one in the entire area as far as I know) has a PSP and Final Fantasy Tactics ... so I can't play it.
- The load time is almost nonexistent.
- Rewritten and well-translated dialogue! Yay! The translation is not perfect, I've noticed several grammatical and spelling errors in the dialogue, but its a big improvement from the last translation. I'm bit annoyed that its not perfect, though. Last time I could chalk it up to the horrible translation, but this time I really did expect perfection. Oh well. The big plus is that the plot is much easier to understand now.
Cons:
- Sound: It sounds like several sound effects were cut. I got especially annoyed at the first fight, when some of the dark knight's sword skill sound effects were cut. I don't know why this is. If you've never played the game you probably won't notice/care (though you might wonder at the strange silence for parts of moves ...). If you have played the game you'll be annoyed.
- Multiplayer: If you don't have anyone to play with, there is no way to get any of that extra content. I don't know why they couldn't have made the multiplayer missions an option to do all alone - sure they'd be hard, but still ... Very annoying that an entire section of the game is locked to you if you have no one to play with. Of course, you can disregard this if you actually have a friend, with the game, who is willing to spend time doing the multiplayer content with you.
- Graphics: The PS1 version has absolutely beautiful graphics; not a single pixel on the screen was was wasted. The grahics are still good in the PSP version, but in stretching out the game to 16x9 for the screen, everything looks somewhat ... fuzzy. This was actually a big letdown for me, because the original graphics on the PS1 still look great. It just didn't make the transition smoothly. But, this is a minor issue. If you haven't seen the original, you'll think this is a pretty beautiful game.
- Dialogue: Again, some grammar and spelling mistakes. Nothing big, but I really wish they'd been fixed.
- ANIMATION SLOW DOWNS. This was big. For almost EVERY special attack in the game, especially more
elaborate ones, there is noticeable disconnect between the sound and the animation. The problem is that the video lags so far behind the sound, sometimes the sound will finish playing almost before the animation has started ... this also considerably slows down battles, as the framerate drops so much. The PSP has powerful hardware in it, I have no idea why there is this problem. Especially because emulated versions don't have this issue. I thought that I would get used to it, but it just got more and more annoying, especially as I got stronger and stronger magic. This is the primary reason I gave the game 3 stars. It is not only incredibly annoying, it also considerably slows the gameplay down. UGH.
Conclusion:
If you've never played the game, do yourself a favor and go try it out. If the lag problem isn't too annoying for you you're in for an amazing game. The plot is sophisticated, and the gameplay is deep. Few games can really compare in those two aspects. And, if you're a big fan of the game, you owe it to yourself to buy it. The new content and new movies are great, and you can't get those on an emulator. That said ... the technical issues introduced in the translation from PS to PSP really knock this game down ... especially the graphics lag. I don't know what Square was thinking releasing the game before they had the problem fixed (I really don't understand why it would even be a problem, the PSP hardware is supposedly more powerful than the PS1 hardware ...).
I really wish I could give this game 5 stars, I really do. In my opinion, the graphics issues alone knocks it down a star, and the combination of everything else knocks another star off. I gave it 4 stars for fun because only the graphics issue really affects how fun the game is to play. Its still a great game, and if the graphics issue was gone I'd say it was a must buy. As is ... :(
*edit*
Its been a few months now, and I've progressed quite a bit in the game. I have well over 100 hours of playtime (no idea how many, exactly, the playtime clock maxed out long ago) and have played through every class and seen almost every ability in the game. Some additional thoughts:
* No multiplayer is still a bummer - I want some of those items, but there is no way for me to get them ...
* In my opinion (and feel free to disagree) graphics slowdown is still an issue. I purposely avoid white magic and use items instead, for example, to avoid some of the bigger offenders and speed up battle. If you read the comments for this review you'll see people who agree and disagree with my assessment.
* I'm continually impressed by the cutscenes, voice acting, and redone script.
* I still feel that the game isn't as crisp as the original PS version.
All of this said, this is still one of my favorite games out there (as evidenced by the fact that I still play it) ... but I do stand by my rating. This game is, in my opinion, hampered by technical problems - which is sad. But ... it is a lot of fun!
Worked for a month or so
Used it maybe 5 charges in a month and then it just stopped working. Threw it out and haven't bothered replacing it with any such charger again.
Nyko makes great stuff
If you don't want to have to turn on your PS3 to charge your Sixaxis or Dual Shock 3, this is the charger to buy. It works great, and it always helps me to have at least one controller charged.
Plus Nyko makes great stuff
Playstation 3 controller charger
Although not a game the charger works great and allows the PS3 to be shut down completely and all the charging done next to my chair which is much more convenient.
