Fantasy Friday-Final Fantasy Tactics A2 Preview

Heya, G1s…and I guess anyone else…how would you even find this if you weren’t one? Anyways I’m your host, Zack Fair, and today we’re taking a preview at one game, and one game only, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Two: Grimoire of the Rift. That’s right, I spelt out every little word, and you know why? That’s just how badass this game looks. I might be just a little biased, but no joke this game looks superb, I really mean it. Just head over to the official North American site for the game and click on “battle system” to catch a glimpse of the sweet footage.  

Aw, man. I just have no idea where to begin. I definitely won’t talk about any of the story as not to spoil anything at all. Let’s start with all the old complaints that didn’t get fixed, so that way they don’t get in the way of all the problems that were fixed, and awesome new stuff. Hmmm…well these are actually few and far-between. Aside from the story being “weak” (more on this soon), the camera is still stuck in the same position. This was quite a pain back in the first FFTA as you would often place a unit somewhere, think he was safe, and than realize all too late that he was one row too many to the left. However this is far outweighed by new special features, and some much needed other fixes. Also, I feel the story, though not too heavily focused on in FFTA, was a fairly good one. It had one underlying theme that just about any gamer can relate to; being different, and wanting to escape reality for something that may or may not be better. Nearly everyone has faced these issues, and they should not be belittled, even when put in a lighter setting.  

Alright, time for some spruce-ups. First off, the biggest complaint for the first FFTA, the judge system. I’m right with you guys on this one, as it definitely sucked the fat one. It was so ridiculously pointless, and they really could have thought of a better way of limiting you. Fret not G1s as I have already said this was the fixed stuff section. How could they fix such a demonstrous error?  

Like this: Originally, the premise of the judge system was that laws would be set down to prohibit you from doing certain actions, like casting a particular type of magic, and rewarding you for its opposite. If you didn’t check the laws every single damn time, you could get fucked and lose items, stats, or even have your best character thrown in the slammer. People friggin hated this, so the great minds at Square got together and said, “You know what, this judge system sucks balls, lets make a new one!” And there was much rejoicing…at least there will be hopefully. There are usually two types of discipline, the “punish for bad behavior” approach, which the old system was, and the “reward for good behavior approach”, which you can guess the new system is. It works in that during each match you are allowed to select a clan privilege which is basically a booster that affects your entire clan. They start simple, like boosts to speed, strength and the like, and as you earn more get gradually more complicated and powerful. The privilege and the laws are tied together. If you follow the laws, you keep the privilege, if you break it, you lose it for that fight. Aside from that, you can break that damn rule as many times as you feel like, no more judge breathin’ down your neck like an asshole.  

I for one think that this new system will work well and not be as much of a hassle as the old piece of shit system. Another thing they touched up on were of course the graphics and sound. Because of the new hardware provided by the DS, music is now more varied and impacting, and graphics much smoother and less laggy. Whereas the first one would have scratchy, pixilated graphics and take several seconds for most animations, the new animations are much more fluid and just plain better. Most animations have been upgraded and are much flashier and appealing.  

Alright, time for my favorite part, your favorite part, everyone’s favorite part of a sequel, the new features! While this may seem like a spruce-up, there’s been so much new shit that’s been added to the clans that it should be in the “new stuff” section. First off, something called the clan trials has been added. Two things have been confirmed for this feature, one is a set of organized brawls that allow you to obtain new titles and privileges for your clan. Titles will most likely boost your stats, gain access to either new areas or missions, and make you feel like a badass. You can also participate in real time auctions to bid for control over sections of Ivalice. Remember back in FFTA when owning sections of the map meant shit? No more! By holding land areas, your clan receives special privileges and treatment not enjoyed by the clans you outbid. Can anyone say clan brothel? XD The bazaar system from FFXII was also put in, so you can go find items, sell em on the market and gain access to sweet, sweet loot. And of course what is a new tactics game without new jobs and races? Several new jobs have been added, from returning faves like the samurai, and new faces, like the chocobo jock and green mage (fuckin shit that’s right they have yet another colored magic wielder!).  

The new races appearing in this game are the shark-pigs called Seeq’s from FFXII that can take on unique jobs such as the berserker who uses powerful, savage blows, and the ranger who sets traps for the enemy. The other new freak-I mean race…to show up in FFTA2 are the Gria, half dragon, half girl warriors. Like the Bangaa, they prefer weapons though there is a magic wielding class. What makes this race so unique is that the wings on their backs actually work, unlike the Moogles (yeah, I know they can fly, why do you think I do an RPG blog? For some reason they just decided they couldn’t in tactics). Because of the functionality of their wings, they are extremely mobile and can traverse heights and great distances with ease. Another new feature that just kicks ass is the use of the top screen. While you can touch around on the menus at the bottom, the top provides extremely valuable information.  

This information includes the current law, privilege, mission objective, and turn order. Also, by scrolling through the turn order, you can see detailed information about each character and monster. A selected character on the top screen will show their name, level, place in the turn order, and also what element that character is weak to, immune to, takes half-damage from, and absorbs. It has friggin’ EVERYTHING!! The top screen alone eliminates nearly ten to twenty minutes of searching through countless number of menus and status screens. In short, it lets you get straight to the fighting, mess free.  

If you’re not stoked for this game yet, you just don’t like tactics or RPG’s…so what are you doing here? Well, thanks for reading, and I hope you’re as excited about this game as I am. I’m Zack Fair, and this was Fantasy Friday!

Fantasy Friday-Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

[Originally written in June 2008]

Hey guys, how’s it hangin’? I’m your host, Zack Fair, and today we’re looking at an RPG that I feel is very underappreciated. So, owing to the fact that in a little more than a week Final Fantasy Tactics A2 hits American shores, I’m going to take a look at Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. As it came from square we were all expecting a certain level of quality, especially since it was their first tactics game since the original smash hit. However some were disappointed in it for several reasons that I feel are over exaggerated. Here’s how I stack up its facets; onto the review.  

Plot Summary: You start out with an angled overview of a bunch of kids throwing snowballs. At least that’s what you assume their doing, throwing their arms around like that. After a little while a whistle is blown, and you probably think “up, recess is over”. Well that’s not the case. Instead they separate into what you soon learn are teams. One kid starts to bitch about how he’s stuck with the weaklings, typical middle school spiel. A red headed girl on the other team, Ritz, calls him a pussy and says she’ll switch with him if he’ll stop bitching. They do so, and the teacher shows up to start the snowball fight. So as you sit there thinking, “Man, why can’t school in real life be this cool?”, Ritz and the Teach begin to explain how combat works in this game. It’s kinda lengthy but real helpful if you’re a tactics noob like I was. This fight is pointless aside from the explanation as each snowball only does one damage and just about after everyone has one turn, a cutscene cuts in showing the bullies ganging up on Mewt cause he’s an easy target. Ritz gets pissed and the bullies immediately turn on her, revealing that she’s not a real redhead but dyes it because it’s completely white. Right when she’s about to pound the snot out of one of ‘em for saying that the Teach steps in and calls off the snowball fight, saying that everyone can go home except for the three main bullies. After everyone leaves, Ritz, Mewt, and your character (who’s default name is Marche) hang back to talk. Mewt says he’s going to the book store and asks Marche if he can join him. He says he can’t because his brother, Doned, just came back from the Hospital but that he should just bring the book to his house and Ritz should come too. They all agree to this and begin to leave. On their way they happen upon a man getting chewed out for something. You find out that he’s Mewt’s Dad and that once his wife died the quality of his work started to slip. After this the friends part ways temporarily and as Ritz and Mewt watch Marche walk off, Ritz asks how much Mewt knows about Marche. She says that though his family may have problems, Marche does too, and not just his brother but that he has no Dad as well. Maybe she was tellin’ him to man up or something? Once they all get to Marche’s house, Mewt breaks out the book and through a cinematic you find out it’s about magic and several races of creatures. They banter and eventually fall upon the subject of making a book, or game, real. Of course Mewt says it’d be awesome if FF was real. That night, the book obliged. It’s pages start to turn and you see an angled overview of what you will eventually learn is the town of St. Ivalice. For those who have played this or the original tactics you all know that the country of Ivalice shares the same name. The camera slowly pans down till you start to see random people milling about their usual night routines, and it begins to change things. Snowy St. Ivalice suddenly becomes the magical country of Ivalice, and its inhabitants become Bangaa, Viera, Nu Mou, Moogles, and various other creatures. Your adventure begins from their…..sorry that was so long ^_^;  

Graphics: 9/10 Very well done, especially for an early portable game. Though, because of the nature of the game, the sprites and character interaction can be bland, movement is still their. The artwork on the characters is really what should be noted. Very well detailed and interesting. The environments are also nice and create a fun experience for the many tactical battles you will engage in during the game. Attack animations are nothing too fancy, but it is the GBA so bear with it.  

Sound: 7/10 Fun and pleasant to the ear, though no real smash hits like in mainstream Final Fantasies. SFX are well placed, but often leave you wishing for more.  

Gameplay: 9/10 If you like tactics style games, this is where it’s at for portable games….well excluding War of the lions…. It takes a little while at first, but once you get into the swing of it, its real easy to handle. Fastest characters take turns first. In a characters turn they can move, attack, use a class based skill, or wait and choose a facing (the direction you’re facing). If you just move and wait your next turn comes faster, and your facing helps you dodge attacks. If you’re looking directly at you’re assailant it’s easiest to dodge, from the side it’s a little harder, and if you’re attacked from behind, you’re pretty much screwed. The same goes for your attacks as well. The rest is also pretty standard. You gain clan members by recruiting them after missions and you can customize any character to become any kind of dual class their race can be. For example, you could have a human ninja/paladin, black/white mage or archer/fighter, and so on depending on the characters race and your personal preferences. Abilities are learned through equipped weapons and armor. Through fights your party for that fight gains ability points. After a character masters and memorizes that ability they can than move on to a new piece of equipment and a new skill. Your clan also has special skills like, tracking and negotiating. I have no idea what they do aside from the fact that certain missions require some skills to be at a certain level. Now for the part that everybody hated, and I can’t blame ‘em for it. The judges. During each match there are a set amount of rules which have to be abided by, lest you face a penalty or even imprisonment. If you don’t constantly check laws before an engagement your most powerful character could be rendered useless. The penalties can also be extremely harsh. While some simply take an item or two from you, others drop character stats, which can completely ruin a character and make you start from scratch! The motto of this game is BE CAREFUL. Always, and I mean ALWAYS, check the laws before a match. Later in the game you can obtain anti-law cards which can help, but often times you either don’t have enough of the kind you need or simply can’t get your hands on the right kind. Something fun though is that the overworld map isn’t preset. For some this is a pain but I found it fun to create my own little country to explore.  

Replay value: 6/10 This is where things start to fall apart. Though the game never really “ends”, and there are special missions for those who finished the game, it’s not much. Unless you’re a completionist or are a tactics buff, expect to only play this game once. 

Closing thoughts: Damn, that was long XD. Though I put it off for a while, I had fun and I hope you did too. This game is a real nice little tactics game, great for a quick fix of RPG and, though I doubt you’ll find it anymore, you should take a look at it…than again war of the lions is already out and A2 is just around the corner….just do what you want I guess. One thing I’d like to add though is that one of my friends complaints was that after you took an action he claimed the game asked you like seven times whether it was ok and I’m damn sure they only ask once. Also, once you pick a facing, you stay like that. No, “Are you sure?” comes to save your ass if you fucked up. Well, time to end this. A BIG thank you to any of you who read through this, I’m Zack Fair and this was Fantasy Friday. See ya next week when I take a little preview at the follow up of this game, Final Fantasy Tactics A2!

Fantasy Friday-Radiata Stories

[Originally written in June 2008]

Hey, welcome to Fantasy Friday, I’m your host Zack Fair, and today we’re looking at yet another overlooked gem of an RPG, Radiata Stories. Developed by Tri-Ace, the people behind Star Ocean, this game is very interesting to say the least. A good RPG that many should have played for it’s off the wall humor, mostly lighthearted story, and tried and true gameplay. Now onto the review.  

Plot Summary: You are Jack Russel (terrier haha it’s so funny, cause I’ve NEVER heard it before X_x) a boy who aspires to be a Radiata Knight and follow in the footsteps of his Father, the strongest knight to ever live. You try out for the Knights but end up getting your butt kicked by some blond chick with an axe. Turns out she’s been training to be a knight since she could walk. You still get in though on account of your Dad being a badass. Both Jack and the girl, whom you now know is called Ridley, get put under Ganz, a bumbling goodhearted knight and leader of The Rose Cochon Brgade. To not spoil the game I’ll simply say an accident occurs on a mission for your brigade and both Jack and Ganz get kicked out of the Knights. Jack ends up joining a town guild called Theater Vancoor, Ganz however is not so fortunate, and somehow ends up in the thieves guild. Through a series of events you eventually reach the main point of the game, a war between the fairy creatures (elves, orcs, goblins and the like) and humans. A major point in the game is Jack’s (your) decision on whether to fight with the Humans or Non-humans. I personally always chose the non-humans because I’m a little too noble. In the end you are ultimately forced to fight for both sides against the final boss, after all genocide is kinda inappropriate for a teen game….right?  

Graphics: 8/10 Nothing too fantastic here, but they fit the fun and quirky theme of the game. This is an RPG that doesn’t take itself the least bit seriously, so it’s a fun playthrough for just about anybody. The backgrounds are nicely shaded and though some area transitions are a little too abrupt, they never grow stale. The character animations are very well done, easily conveying the appropriate emotions for often humorous results. What I was most impressed with was the armor/clothes for the main character. Every time you got a new set they would completely change and practically breath new life into the character. The detailing on said suits is also impressive…though this is the least you can expect when you can’t customize any of your party members equipment.  

Sound: 9/10 Radiata Stories has a fun little soundtrack that fits the light mood of the game very well. The music fits wherever it’s played, and never really gets old. Another nice little treat is that in nearly every cutscene there is some well done voice acting to relieve you of the monotony of the dreaded “tap and read”. SFX are very well placed, especially during character interaction. If you play it you’ll see what I mean.  

Gameplay: 8/10 Now this is where things get really interesting. This game had two main selling points or “hooks”. First, you can kick just about anything. I am dead serious. Furniture, walls, monsters, people, anything; you see it, you can kick it. Hell, you even kick the treasure chests open; it’s actually the only way to open them. There are of course consequences for your actions and if you kick somebody one too many times, they will fight you. This often leads to you accidentally challenging someone strong, thinking they were weak, and getting your ass handed to you. Second, you can recruit just about anybody to be in your party. Nearly everyone in this game has an agenda, personality, and backstory. Appeal to them and they’ll join your quest/quests and there are nearly two hundred people in this game available to join you. That’s crazy! The combat system is nothing new however. It’s not bad, but it’s like pizza. Most everybody likes pizza, but if you have too much, you’ll get bored of it. How it works is that you can level up on each type of weapon (one handed and two handed swords, spears and axes) and gain attacks for each one. You normally start off with only two or three of a weapon’s attacks like right and left slash, but you’ll eventually gain thrusts and jumping slashes and the like. When you have many attacks you can set them up into a combo via the start menu. Each weapon has a different CP or combo points value and can only hold so many attacks. There are no spells or MP in this game. They are instead replaced with volty points and volty blows and blasts. With each hit inflicted on an enemy Jack gains volty points. Ten points are needed for a volty blow, a strong often guard breaking hit, and one hundred for a volty blast, a limit break move that deals massive amounts of damage. Though your comrades during battle are completely automatic, right down to their equipment, you can eventually give orders to them to heal, attack, etc. etc. You can also have your party link up into formations with different special effects. In fact, you can even learn your party members’ special abilities through multiple linkings.  

Replay value: 7/10 Like most RPG’s it really depends on if you’re a collector or not. At the end of the game you can fight multiple extra bosses in the hardest dungeons not only for the challenge but for special weapons, armor, and items. Some of them even join your party on defeat. A few of these extra bosses are guest appearances from one of Tri-Ace’s other games, Valkyrie Profile. Lenneth Valkyrie herself can be fought and made to be a party member.  

Closing Thoughts: This game was a whole lot of fun and good for a laugh or two. I recommend it to anybody, especially to those who have not yet played an RPG as it’s a nice, easy way to get into RPGs. Mainly because the story is funny and light, not heavy and deep like some more famous franchises. I can definitely see it as a classic of tomorrow. It’s real cheap, so I say if you see a copy lying around, pick it up! Even if it’s just to tide you over till the next Final Fantasy, I promise you won’t regret it. Thanks for reading. I’m Zack Fair, and this was Fantasy Friday, see ya next week.

Well, for anyone who stumbles across this blog, it is a blog dedicated to overlooked, under appreciated and forgotten gems of RPGs (Role Playing Games). It hasn't truly started on the weekly schedule yet, I'm just moving it from its original home on screwattack.com. If you enjoy RPGs, check it out, and anticipate new blogs, cause they're comin' real soon. 

Fantasy Friday: The World Ends with You

[Originally written in June of 2008]

Okay, I missed Friday by a "little", so sue me...wait please don't I probably can't afford it.

Moving right along,

Some of you may never have heard of this game, which is a real shame, it's creative story, funny dialogue and interesting though sometimes challenging gameplay should get more recognition. I personally believe it to be the best DS game so far, and hope for a sequel of some kind.
I'm surprised how little I hear of it as it was made by the same development team that worked on Kingdom Hearts, a very successful little series of games, with more on the way. (More on that a few fridays from now.) For those of you who didn't enjoy KH, than don't let it stop you as though the main character has his fair share of emo, the story makes up for it well. It was originally called It's a Wonderful World, but for obvious copyright reasons they had to change that. Now onto the review.

Plot summary: The World Ends with You tells the story of Neku Sakuraba, a more than a little emo 15-year-old boy who unexpectedly wakes up in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan who never is without his all too necessary headphones so he can drown out other people. While trying to piece together his rude awakening, he receives a strange text message warning him that he will cease to exist unless he accomplishes a certain mission. Although he barely has time to grasp what is happening to him, he commences his assigned task in the mysterious streets of Shibuya.

Graphics:10/10
This game s simply beautiful. It really is the current pinnacle of 2D graphics on the DS. Just take a look at some screens and you'll know what I mean. The drawings are very well detailed, without any overzealous zippers, and the backgrounds hold the same. Character expressions are also done very well, easily expressing the character without being too "Japany". Battle graphics are also fairly good though the sprites sometimes get sketchy, but it's the DS, if you want super graphics go buy a PSP. Overall, extremely well done, Square.

Sound:7/10
This is a little more opinion based, whereas the SFX are all well and good. fitting properly with the game, the soundtrack is another story. You'll either love or hate it as it is comprised mostly of J-pop, J-rock and even J-rap, though most are in english, just japanese styled. If you hate J stuff, than mute it, cause it'll loop and grind into your ears. Though if you really think about it the music is appropriate as this game is set in Japan and makes several japanese pop culture references. The music is practically a reflection of what Neku is listening to.

Gameplay:8/10
Hoo boy, this ones a doozey. It takes a lot of getting used to as you practically have to split your mind in two. In every RPG there are a set of monsters you mus fight correct? Well they're called noise here and they exist in both screens. On the top screen you control your partner by pushing left or right and following a combo map to either a symbol or number depending on your partner. If you pick the right combo ending you earn a star. Later in the game you can unleash powerful combo attacks by collecting these stars. On the bottom is neku, and you use the stylus to move and activate his pins, which act like weapons and spells. Unfortunately for beginners, both characters are fighting at the same time, and must be controlled one right after the other rapid fire. However, you can set your partner to automatic which eases the pain in the beginning. However once you get the hang of it the battles become extremely fun and you'll want to drop the AI as its stupid as all hell. Another aspect of the gameplay is the clothes you can wear. Not only do they act as armor like in most RPG's, giving you stat boosts and the like, but they also have brands. Depending on where you are in Shibuya, the trends change and your clothes can either make you weaker or stronger depending on their brand. You can always check the areas trends by opening your cell phone menu. While some found this feature annoying, I thought it was an interesting way to keep you flexible with your armor and pins.

Replay value:8/10
This mostly depends on how hardcore a gamer you are. At the end they give you a ton of stuff to collect, and not just the most powerful weapons and gear either but actual plot relevant things. I found this to be nice, especially if you didn't want the game to end just quite yet. They even give you an extra little branch off "level" which is very fun and hilarious. However if collecting and plot pieces aren't your thing, than prepare for one playthrough, though great it will be.

End thoughts:10/10
Well this game is graphically stunning and, in my eyes, a fresh new look at what an RPG and RPG battle system can be. Though clumsy at times, this game is truly a fantastic addition to Sqaure's line-up. I'm Zack, and this was Fantasy Friday, see you next week.