Summary
ManyFinal Fantasyentries are held up as all-time classics by portions of the fanbase, andFinal Fantasy Tacticsis one of them. The game was released in Japan in 1997 for the PlayStation 1, with a North American release the next year, and received a remaster for PSP and mobile devices in 2007. Written and directed byOgre Battlecreator Yasumi Matsuno,Final Fantasy Tacticsbecame a success that spawned its ownFinal Fantasysubseries and inspired many more titles since.
That’s not even all that it has done for the franchise.Final Fantasy Tacticsintroduced the Ivalice setting used by its sequels,Final Fantasy 12, and the Return to Ivalice raid inFinal Fantasy 14. Protagonist Ramza Beoulve was one of the twoFinal Fantasyspin-off charactersadded toDissidia Final Fantasy NT. Even the politically-charged medieval wartime drama inFFThas also influenced the stories of later games, especiallyFinal Fantasy 14and16, courtesy of outspoken Tactics fan Naoki Yoshida. Recently, Yoshida went as far as stating that it was time for a newFinal Fantasy Tacticsgame and, looking atFinal Fantasy’s current landscape, he’s probably right.
Nothing Has Hit Like Final Fantasy Tactics Since FFT
Right now, there aren’t many games likeFinal Fantasy Tacticson the market.Fire Emblemis still going strong, indie strategy RPGs continue to be released, and Square Enix itself is stillpublishing comparable titles likeTriangle Strategy. Still, it feels like nothing has matchedFFT’s cultural significance in its genre space yet. The recentUnicorn Overlordwent over well enough to be praised by Yasumi Matsuno himself, which makes sense considering the influence ofOgre BattleandFinal Fantasy 12in it, but not even those games bring together the same narrative and gameplay trappings asFinal Fantasy Tactics.
Final Fantasy Itself Has Grown Distant From Tactics
Not helping the issue areFinal Fantasy’s modern efforts, which are moving further away fromTactics’ gameplay even while calling back to other elements. Produced by Naoki Yoshida,Final Fantasy 16draws uponFinal Fantasy Tacticsheavily through its medieval warfare, themes of oppression, and other details like player-character Clive Rosfield changing his outfit over time similar to Ramza.
FF16’s character action gameplaycouldn’t feel more different thanFinal Fantasy Tactics, however, and the same can be said forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. A newFinal Fantasy Tacticshas an unoccupied place in this lineup.
The Final Fantasy Tactics Line Needs Fresh Blood
Final Fantasy TacticsandOgre Battlefans have been underserved for a long time.Ogre Battle’s five distinct entries have only seen re-releases and remasters since 2001’sTactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis, andFFTjust had two sequels, a portable remaster, and three defunct mobile spin-offs. 2003’sFinal Fantasy Tactics Advanceand 2007’sFinal Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Riftare the last new games from either, and while both were well-received, not even they could recapture the qualities that made the originalFFTsuch a legend. As such, a revival is overdue.
A New Final Fantasy Tactics Is Still Possible
Several years of evidence for a modern, ambitiousFinal Fantasy Tacticsremaster were piling up, but all that came of it was 2022’sTactics Ogre: Reborn. That could help pave the way for aproper continuation ofFinal Fantasy Tactics, though according to Matsuno himself, there are currently no plans forFFTitself to be remastered.
Still, Matsuno’s recent series of design positions might be leading up to another directing role, which would definitely turnFFTfans’ heads. AFinal Fantasy Tacticssequel or spiritual successor would fill a long-standing hole in Square Enix’s lineup and could shake up bothFinal Fantasyand tactical RPGs all over again.
Final Fantasy Tactics
The styles of FINAL FANTASY and OGRE BATTLE converge inFINAL FANTASY TACTICS, a strategy RPG created by the minds behind those classic series. A tale of political intrigue and betrayal woven through a complex web of interpersonal relationships, this game requires you to follow a convoluted plot through several twisting chapters. You assume control a young noble named Ramza, a young lad embroiled in a political revolution that spirals into a supernatural threat endangering the entire world. The influence from the FINAL FANTASY games is seen in the monster designs, spells, weapons, and most notably the character classes. Known as jobs, these character types are taken directly from FINAL FANTASY V, and allow you to completely customize your characters' abilities. On the battlefield you will feel the gameplay ties to TACTICS OGRE, as you maneuver your allies around the grid-based map in turn-based strategic combat. The game also features an epic soundtrack from the composers of the OGRE BATTLE series, Masaharu Iwata and Hitoshi Sakimoto.
