Genre: Role-Playing (RPG), Strategy / Tactics
Gameplay: Tactical RPG
Visual: Isometric
Pacing: Turn-based
Setting: Fantasy
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developed by: Square Co.
Released: 1998
Platforms: PlayStation (PSX, PS1), Game Boy Advance (GBA)
Despite the presence of some of the thematic elements of Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Tactics belongs to a different genre than most games in the series, and is extremely similar in terms of gameplay and style with the games from the series Tactics Ogre of Quest. This is largely due to the presence of former Quest employees among game developers, including the director of the game Yasumi Matsuno, character designer Akihiko Yoshida, art director Hiroshi Minagawa and composer Hitoshi Sakimoto who left the previous job specifically to create Final Fantasy Tactics. Unlike other Final Fantasy games released for the PlayStation gaming console, Final Fantasy Tactics uses an isometric projection engine on a 3D battlefield with sprite figures on it.
The game takes place in the same Ivalice universe as the events of Final Fantasy XII, but in another era, many centuries later.
In 2003, for the portable console Game Boy Advance was released the game Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the plot is not connected with Final Fantasy Tactics. In 2007, was released augmented version of the game for the console PlayStation Portable called Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. August 4, 2011 The War of the Lions was released for Apple iOS.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Final Fantasy Tactics is significantly different from what we used to see in Final Fantasy. Instead of the traditional for the game series of the battle screen, where the player's characters are on one side, and the enemies on the other, collisions occur on 3D isometric fields. Characters move around the battlefield, divided into squares; the range of motion and actions of the character is determined by the parameters of the character and his working class. Battles are step by step; the character can act when his Charge Time (CT) reaches 100. The charge time (hereinafter simply CT) increases with each CT unit (time unit in battles) in an amount equal to the character speed parameter. When CT reaches hundreds (or more), the character is able to act. During the battle, each time a character successfully performs an action, he receives experience points (EXP) and career points (English Job Points, JP). As in other games of the series, in Final Fantasy Tactics there are random battles - they start on the world map. However, in Final Fantasy Tactics, random battles occur only in certain locations, marked green on the world map. The crossing of such a place can lead to the beginning of a random battle. Another important aspect of battles is magical attacks. Some magical attacks cause damage in the area of attack (area attacks), and many of the more powerful attacks require several moves to perform. Points of Life (English Hit Points, HP) of enemy units are also visible to the player (except for some bosses), which allows the player to know exactly how much damage he still has to inflict on that unit. Movement on the world map is limited by predetermined ways, connecting cities, plot and unsafe locations. When the character symbol is above the city, a menu with several options can be opened: "Tavern" - you can learn fresh and not very rumors, you can also sign up for side tasks; "Outfitter" - for the purchase and sale of supplies and uniforms; "Warriors' guild" - the possibility of recruiting new characters, plus the ability to rename the monsters under your control. In the later stages of the game (when studying the "Poach" character in the "Vor class"), in some cities "Fur shops" will open, providing the opportunity to exchange the remains of killed monsters for items. Like other series, Final Fantasy Tactics contains a class character system that allows the player to customize characters for different roles. The game comprehensively reclaims most of the original character classes found in the earlier games of the Final Fantasy series, including summoners, black mages, white mages, monks, spearmen (English Lancers) and thieves (English Thieves). The game includes 20 professions available to normal characters.
"Professions" in Final Fantasy Tactics
The profession here is a very important element, which is an inseparable part of the gameplay of this game. Initially, only 2 professions are available: Squire (English first profession) and Chemist (the first magical profession) Each man warrior has two skill set kits: these are related to the professions, the first is the set of occupations and if the skills are learned, then a star will appear above the figure of this class, and the skills menu will not show the professions, the star and the "Mastered" will be displayed.
Getting a profession is half the battle, it's also important to study it. And sometimes it gives the right to receive and study another profession.
But not always the first profession - Squire. Many specific characters have a special profession that can be used only by themselves. Usually the Reaction, Support and Movement Skills are the same as the Squire.
Sometimes the profession of the Squire changes slightly (for example, in Ramza and Delita).
Plot
Prologue
In the introductory video to the Orbon monastery comes a group of horsemen on the chocobo, on their armor - the coat of arms of Prince Goltanna. Meanwhile, the young princess Ovelia, who lived in the monastery in recent years, is going on the road. She must be accompanied by the female knight Agrias and a group of mercenaries led by Sir Gaffgarion. Among the mercenaries is the main character - Ramza Beoulve. Arrived riders get involved in the battle with the guard of the princess and perish. Meanwhile, an unknown knight takes the princess through the back door of the monastery and takes him to the chocobo. Ramza recognizes the knight - this is his old friend Delita, whom he considered long dead. But why is the former squire of the Knightly Order of the Northern Heaven, Hokuten collaborating with the people of Goltanna?
Chapter I - The Meager
The action of the first chapter occurs a year before the events of the prologue, when the uprising of the so-called Death Corpse is raging in western Ivalice. A group of graduates of the Military Academy of Knights Order of Hokuten in the city of Gariland, among them Ramza and Delita, beat off the rebel attack on the city. Ramza recalls the scene of the death of his father, General Balbanes: his father wills him to take care of his younger sister, to rely on the help of the faithful Delita and in general to become a good knight and not to disgrace the honest name of a noble family. The detachment follows the capital of the duchy, Igros, where they meet with Prince Larg and the Ramza brothers, Larg's adviser Dycedarg Beoulve, and General Zalbag. On the way, they rescue from the robbers a young squire named Algus and learn that the overlord of Algus, the marquis Elmdor, was abducted by the Death Corps. From Igors, the detachment is sent to rescue the Marquis and successfully rescues it. In the Brigade there are internal strife, and the head of the Corps, Wiegraf, killing the kidnapper - Captain Gustav - himself gives the Marquis to the "rescuers" (in fact the kidnapping was ordered, and Larg and Daisdarg arranged it). Further, the detachment participates in the offensive of the government army on the rebel fort, which is commanded by the sister of Wigraf - Miluda, defeating and releasing it. At this time, people from the Corps of Death led by Captain Golagros arrange a raid on the estate of the Beoules and mistakenly kidnap Sama Ramza, Alma, Delita's sister Teta. The detachment starts off in pursuit. Along the way, Ramza and his companions are confronted with a detachment of Miludas trying to escape from the encirclement of Hokuten, are compelled to enter the battle and kill her. On a small mill of Golagros and his hostage, Wigraph catches up, he is unhappy with the kidnapping of the girl, but still remains to cover their departure - however, after losing to Ramza fight, he escapes. Galagros and his hostage make their way to Zeakden's rebellious fort, but it is already empty and surrounded by Hokuten troops - the remnants of the broken Corps have gone to the mountains. Zalbaag and Algus, who became his approximate officer, do not burden themselves with negotiations: Algus from the crossbow shoots both the hostage and her captor. Zalbag leaves. Ramza's squad enters into battle with Algus's detachment and wins, while Algus dies. Mortally wounded Golagros explodes the powder cellars of the fort. Delita disappears in the flame with the corpse of a sister in her arms.
Chapter II - The Manipulator and the Subservient
The second chapter begins after the prologue ends, when Ramza, Agrias and Gafgarion, along with the rest of the guard, pursue Delita. Delita with the princess is clearly heading for Goltana in Fort Besselat. In the city of Dorther, they are ambushed by robbers hired by some unknown knight, which does not prevent the detachment from catching up with Delita and the princess at the waterfall Zierichel, where Delita himself was ambushed by the knights of Hokuten. Delita claims to save the princess - they want to kill her. Gafgarion orders the Knights of Hokuten to kill all strangers, including Delita, Agrias and Ramza, and, being wounded, runs from the battlefield. After the battle Delita passes the princess Ramza and Agrias - he has some of his own plans. The detachment with the princess is sent to neutral territory - to the county of Lionel, governed by the Church, more precisely, Cardinal Draclau. On the way, they rescue a mysterious youth named Mustadio. In Lionel, Cardinal Draclau takes Ovelia and Agrias under his protection, and Ramza goes with Mustadio to the city of mechanics Goug (Goug) to rescue Mustadio's father, the master gunsmith Besrodio kidnapped by the criminal syndicate Rudvich. From the rescued Besrodio Ramza learns that behind the syndicate is the cardinal himself. The detachment returns to Lionel by sea and outside the city meets the runaway from Cardinal Agrias - the cardinal wants to execute the princess on Mount Golgoranda, where Holy Ajora herself was once executed. The detachment rushes to the rescue, but the penalty turns out to be a dummy - the role of the executioner is played by Gafgarion, who, however, again loses the fight and escapes. The princess is securely hidden in the Lionel dungeons. To her come the cardinal, Delita and that most unfamiliar knight Templar Vormav. Folmarv tells her: she is not a real princess (a real Ovelia died many years ago), and a dummy candidate for the throne, grown by Larg. Delita, having agreed with the cardinal, takes Ovelia to Goltana. Unaware of this, Ramza breaks through the gates of Lionel at night, kills Gafgarion and encounters a cardinal. Draclau with the help of his own Holy Stone turns to the demon Queklain. Ramza kills him. Meanwhile, arriving at the courtyard of Goltana Delita passes him Ovelia and moves the prince to take decisive action - Goltana arrests the queen and declares Prince Orinas an illegitimate heir. Enraged Larg throws Hokuten at Goltana's possession. The latter manages to muster enough power to repel the attack - behind it stands the Knightly Order of
Nanten, equal in strength to Hokuten, and its commander Count Sidolph Orlando, also known as Thundercracker Sid. Both sides gather armies and begin a bloody civil war.
Chapter III - The Valiant
Realizing that there are some unknown but powerful forces behind the war that are clearly connected with Prince Larg and Dycedarg, Ramza is leaving with her detachment to the largest city in Ivalisa, the Capital of the Kingdom in Lesalia, where the army of Larg is currently stationed and the commander, Zalbag. Along the way, they are rescued from the clutches of the robber officers of a young officer named Nanten named Olan, who, however, leaves on his own way. In Lesalia Ramza meets with his brother-general. Zalbag does not want to hear anything about the plot and runs Ramza. Ramza meets his sister Alma; on them at the rear gate Lesalia attacks the detachment of the Inquisition. Its head, Inquisitor Zalmo, accuses Ramza, and quite rightly, in the murder of Cardinal Draclau. Now Ramza is everywhere looking for as a dangerous heretic. Having fought off the Inquisitors, Ramza, along with Alma and his squad, goes back to Orbonne, where another Holy Stone should be hidden. They discover that the well-armed Templar knights, led by the young knight Izlude and an old acquaintance-the former captain of Death Corpse Wiegraf-burst into the monastery right in front of them. Now he joined the Order of the Templars. Izlude abducts Alma and leaves the monastery. Wiegraf calls the Velius demon - more precisely, the demon himself refers to it - and also disappears. The dying abbot of Simon monastery passes Ramza an ancient book - Germonik Scriptures. This book tells the true story of the life of Saint Ajora, and it was written by the betrayer who was his disciple (thus representing a peculiar Gospel of Judas). In pursuit of his sister's kidnappers, Ramza is sent north to Ivalice, to the duchy of Fovoham. The mysterious sorcerer Malak, the minion of the mighty "weapon king" of Archduke Barinten, who got Izlude and Alma, offers Ramza to exchange the book for his sister. On the road Ramza again meets with Olan - the one with his squad hunting for deserters, it turns out that Olan is the adopted son of Count Orlandu. Ramza and his squad rescues from the people of Barinten sister Malak, the sorceress Rafa, who, unlike her brother, sees the dark side of all Barinten affairs, and escaped. In the meantime, Barinten himself, welcomes guests at the inaccessible castle of Riovannes Hramovnikov - Vormav (father Izlude) and Wiegraf. Thanks to Izilude, the duke also knows about the forces behind the war and wants to be "taken in" - while simultaneously trying to blackmail the Templars, obviously not imagining who he is dealing with: Templars are carriers of the Holy Stones. Vormav and Wiegraf prefer to immediately appeal to immortal demons and arrange a real massacre in the castle. While Ramza fights her way through the gate, Alma escapes from her cell, encounters the dying Izlide, who, apparently, was mortally wounded by her own father - let her not talk too much. Before death, Ä°zlud gives Alma his Holy Stone - and the stone recognizes Alma as the new master. Vormav takes Alma with him. Ramza, defeating Wiegraf and the demon Velius, which was addressed by Wiegraf, is chosen on the roof of the castle. Here the miraculously surviving Barinten kills the risen Rafa Malal defender with a pistol shot and tries to take away the Holy Stone. However, another side interferes with the case - on the roof of the castle appears the Marquis Elmdor (the same one, rescued in the first chapter) with two fine companion assassins. Barinten meets his death, and Ramza wins another fight - with the Marquis and his companions - and drives them away. Rafa with the help of the Holy Stone returns Malak to life. Ramza decides to go to the duchy of Zeltenia, the patrimony of Goltana, to meet with Goltana Delita, who has taken a high post in the army, and yet learn something about the war, the conspiracy and the Holy Stones.
Chapter IV - Somebody to Love
The war continues, both sides are suffering huge losses. Olan tells his adoptive father, Orland, about a conspiracy - the Church stands behind everything. Ramza meets with daughter Vomav - Meliadoul, she is determined to avenge the murdered ostensibly Ramza brother - Izlude. Ramza's battle wins. Ramza meets with Delita at the church in Zeltenia; It turns out that the plan of the Church is to set off two warring parties, weaken, and then kill their leaders (including both princes, Dycedarg and Zalbag Beoulve, and Cidolfas Orlandu). Then the only power in the country will be the Church. Delita himself, however, does not work for the Church - he is in love with the princess Ovelia and is ready to do anything to protect her. The Ramza is attacked by the same Inquisitor Zalmo, but with the help of Delita Ramza, it is possible to defeat churchmen. Delita and the agent of the Church - Valmafra - leave: Larg gathered strength for a decisive blow to the ancestral lands of Goltana - the Besselat Citadel. The largest battle of the war is approaching. In the desert, Ramza and his squad meet with one more Templar - Balk, scattering poison on the way of the Larg troops. Meanwhile, Goltana is arresting his commander in chief - Cidolfas Orlandu - and appoints Delita in his place. It is not hard to guess whose it was intrigues. Ramza with her detachment breaks into Fort Beseslat, liberates Orland and opens the locks of the fortress. The spilled river prevents two armies from entering the battle. Delita kills Goltana and the dodgy Orlandu, while Ramza leaves with the present. At the same time, the advanced parts of the Larg, which the prince himself leads, fall into the veil of Mossfungus poisonous spores dispersed by Balk. Larg, though heavily poisoned, still survives, and then the prince punctures his adviser Dycedarg Beoulve, who dreams of the crown. General Zalbag takes Daseedarg out of the poisonous area and, although shocked by the suzerain's murder, still hides his brother-killer from the soldiers, announcing that the prince was killed by the mercenary Nanten. In search of her sister Ramza goes to the castle of Limbery to the Marquis Elmdor - it turns out that Limbery has long been destroyed, and the marquess is actually a vampire demon, as well as both his companions. Ramza defeats them. The shaken Meliadoul, who followed Ramza in a thirst for revenge, repents and joins the detachment. Meanwhile, the castle Igros Dycedarg negotiates with the Templar Rofel, the latter passes him the next Holy Stone. Zalbag conducts his own investigation and understands that the old Beoulve - General Balbanes - was poisoned by Dycedarg himself. Zalbag and Ramza almost simultaneously are in Igrose - Zalbag perishes at the hands of the elder brother, who turned to the demon Adramelk. Ramza kills him and follows the Templars heading to the holy city of Murond. Templars straighten out their patron - the Pope Murondsky Funeral. Ramza gives them an insignificant for him Germonik Scriptures, hoping to get a sister in return. The Templars throw Zalbag-turned-brother Zalbag-and, according to the instructions in the book, depart to Orbone to open the portal to the realm of the dead, where Saint Ajora rests, which must be reborn in Alma's body. Ramza breaks into the realm of the dead after them, enters into battle with Ajora himself and wins. In the finals of Ramza and Alma, the chocobo is passed by its own funeral. Delita became the king of Ivalis and restored peace in the country. Ovelia accuses Delita that Ramza was killed because of his thirst for power and gets hit with a dagger.
Supplement: Other adventures
Upon learning of the monster that had settled in the mines under the city of Golland, Ramza, along with the knight Beowulf Kadmus, went to the local dungeons. They defeat the demon and rescue a strange dragon named Reis (Reese or Reis), to which Beowulf refers as a human being. The mechanic Besrodio digs into the Goug of a steel robot, which Ramza manages to launch and force to obey his commands. Then Besrodio digs out another machine, reminiscent of the model of the solar system. Ramza and his squad are visiting the island of Neelveska, where they fight with one more ancient robot. Thanks to the Holy Stone received in this battle, Reis turns back into a beautiful woman - she was bewitched by an evil bishop. Besrodio starts the car, and from it appears a strange, heady warrior named Cloud (a character from the game Final Fantasy VII). In the city of Zargidas Cloud protects from the raids of local criminals flower girl Aerith (also a character Final Fantasy VII). Hearing a story in the bar in Warjilis about Midlight's Deep, Ramza goes there and meets there the bearer of the thirteenth sign of the Zodiac, the magician Elidibs.