ffta2: grimoire of the rift is turn based strategy in a fantasy setting, with great, addictive game play.
ANYWAY. final fantasy tactics a2: grimoire of the rift is exactly the type of game that i like -- turn based strategy, fantasy setting. like most square enix games, the visual design is beautiful and the musical score is good. the story is entertaining and is actually involving, unlike some turn based strategy games where the story is just a loose frame for the game play. familiar characters from the sony playstation 2 game final fantasy xii also pop up and figure in the story, which was a plot device that i thoroughly appreciated, having also played it in the past. (truth be told, i actually enjoyed vaan and penelo's characters here more than i did in final fantasy xii!)
final fantasy tactics a2: grimoire of the rift uses a grid-based battle area system, similar to its predecessor games and games like nis america's disgaea series (for the sony playstation 2, sony psp and the nintendo ds) or makai kingdom (for the sony playstation 2). there are also different character classes/jobs as well as races, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. the idea is to control and manage a clan of characters (the maximum number being 24) while progressing through the story and going on missions. while some missions are integral to the story, some may be replayed over and over again for monetary benefits or experience. some missions are also specific to the character's identity, race or job.
what i really enjoyed with this game is the job system. characters learn different job-specific abilities by acquiring/buying weapons, armor or items and then equipping them. with every battle, ability points are incurred in everything that each participating character is wearing. with enough ability points, characters can use the job-specific abilities even without equipping the weapon, armor or item. eventually, each character can level up two different jobs and use abilities from both. this can get you really involved! i spent a lot of time leveling up characters and figuring out which two jobs would be most suited for each individual. i also based most of my strategy on the job strengths/weaknesses.
so what didn't i like about this game? to be honest, i didn't like the law system. each battle comes with a "law" that if you break, handicaps your game play. once you break the law, for the whole battle you lose your clan privilege and you lose the chance to get the predetermined bonus set with the law. you also cannot revive your fallen members until after the battle. it's a little more restrictive than the law system in the previous games, and a lot less forgiving considering how long some battles can be. overall, though, there's not much to complain about.
i'm giving this game a 9/10. considering that i've played this game for over 175 HOURS (at last count; i continued to play battles/missions even after i completed the story!), it seems only fair that i give it such a high score. -1 for not really utilizing the nintendo ds features (touch screen, microphone, etc.). it's a great game; i'd recommend it to everyone.
(originally posted on my blog: http://miaowow.blogspot.com/2009/12/final-fantasy-tactics-a2-grimoire-of.html)