A classic game from the last century that still holds up well due to its amazing gameplay and endless customization
The new Final Fantasy Tactics for the PSP has made some changes to the original:
1. 16:9 widescreen presentation
2. Improved audio
3. Improved localization(the original one has a lot of spelling mistakes and poor translation that I need an FAQ to follow the story along)
4. New jobs.
5. New guest characters(I dont want to spoil it for you)
6. Fast character movements during gameplay.
7. New stylistic cinematics(replaced the 3D CGI movies) with good voice acting
8. New Intro
9. Modified listing of spells, job names and skills and some character names That being said, its safe to say that almost all the FF Tactics design and gameplay are intact. 10. Multiplayer. PROS:
1. It's portable: you can take it anywhere without taking your PSOne with you.
2. Audio enhancements and the addition of the new cinematics is a plus.
3. Great gameplay mechanics with the chance to create your own character with infinite combination of skills
4. Great replay value. You can play this game for the PSP and chew 70 to 100 hours of your lifetime.
5. Complex storyline:geared for a much more mature audience
CONS:
1. As great as the game is, this style of play is not for everyone. If you want First Person Shooters or arcade/adventure games, this may not be your cup of tea. The game requires level 'grinding' and you can spend an average of 40 to 45 minutes for one mission alone.
2. Hard. This game has a steep learning curve. The earlier missions will be very frustrating for new players who are not familiar with turn based strategy games. If you just go all out and dont develop your characters, the computer AI will go and attack your healer or support characters and decimate your unit for a frustrating experience.
3. Slowdown. This is the most popular complaint for this game. When using special moves, skills, chanting spells and summoning, the game animation will be in slooow motion. This is not the fault of the PSP but its a design flaw of the game. It's a possibility that this game was a bit 'rushed' in order that it can be released and available to the 20th Anniversary of Square. I assume its more of a business decision rather than the fault of the game developers. However, it does not take away from the brilliant gameplay. Its tolerable and often negligible, but a lot of Final Fantasy fans will be a bit disappointed that this could had been the perfect game for the PSP.
4. No save feature during missions. I was playing the game on my way to work when I found out that I cannot save in the middle of a mission. I was a bit disappointed since this is a portable system and I should be able to pause and continue later just like other games as Fire Emblem, Tactics Ogre or any portable game for that matter. The only thing that you could hope for is to turn off the PSP on standby, lock the power button and hopefully you will still have enough charge to resume playing. My advise, bring the AC adaptor or extra battery on the road.
Conclusion:
Final Fantasy Tactics is a great game and should be commended for its overall design and gameplay depth. It rewards players of spending time with the game. Its very cerebral and engaging: you are actually planning, maintaining, designing and honing your parties skills as you try to create the perfect fighting force with every mission.
However, it does has it flaws: no save during missions, slowdowns. It is also not tailored for everyone. Casual or arcade gamers should first rent the game to determine if this is a game that's worth spending their hard earned money. Final Fantasy strategy fans who knows the world of Ivalice should add this collection to their PSP game.
Overall: 8.5
Recommendation: Rent it first for casual gamers. Must buy for FF fans and for gamers who likes cerebral games.