Penelo? Yes! I am really looking forward to this.

Ok. If Matsuno is not involved it is NOT the FF Tactics game we are waiting for.

A2 is excellent. I have it and it is 200% better than the original FFTA.

Aww dammit. First 358/2 Days and now this? I don't want to get a DS. I already sunk in so much money in the stuff I already have!

@Witzbold: Wow really? I was a large fan of the first, have like 250 hours into it or something completing missions and stuff. If it really is better I am super pumped for it then.

I'm officially psyched. I put 80+ hours into Tactics Advance. and 100+ into the original Tactics. Now if they'd just make a new Tactics Ogre...

But how can it be Advance if it's no longer on the GBA?!! It's a crazy world we live in... crazy world.

man I did really like FFTactics though I never finished it... but the one thing that bugs me about most SRPG's beyond Disgaea is the size of the characters. I know that is nitpicky... but when I unleash an attack its almost as if it just lacks the oomph. I liked Jeanne D'arc enough but it even suffered from that. That doesn't mean I'm not going to purchase this because I'm sure the story and the job system more than make up for it. But its definately made me avoid other more 'lackluster' SRPG's... which is a same because its easily my favorite genre.

Can't it have more than JUST FF12 characters that you can team up with. I want the FF3 characters to be my friends too.

I liked FFTA but I'd like it better if it didn't have the dopey Never Ending Story ripoff.

Ramza >>> Marche

I feel like Im in a bizarro world. FFTA was crap. Its story wasnt anywhere near as good as FFT and the gameplay didnt innovate at all. This new entry makes me wonder if Square has this obsession with taking a big moogle poop on anything that Matsuno does. Its like theyre giving him the finger for quitting FF12. They bring him on and he produces one of the best FF's in a long time. One that, mostly, breaks the chain of anime cliches and other FF access and tells a great story in a fully realized world. Then they actively go against everything the main story and was about with these fruity spin offs. Detention? Evil books in libraries? WTF? Its like they got a hold of an R. L. Stine novel and decided to mine it. BLAH!

@Witzbold:
Even story-wise? Part of the reason I hated the original FFTA (aside from the insipid Judge System being hideously biased against you and not the enemy) was the childish character designs and the rather uninspired storytelling. Does this one at least fix the narrative? I can tell from screenshots the childish aesthetic is still intact. =/

@Modus_Operandi:
/agree. Loved the R.L. Stine reference. Does he still write? I heard he could pump out a Goosebumps in two weeks (gee... wonder why....)

"including polished game mechanics"

If this translates to "Sorry guys, we only implemented laws and judges because we had way too much crack. We're fixing that mistake," then I'll be excited. If not, then it's really not the FFT I've been waiting for.

@Archaotic: Its like there was a board meeting and they looked at FFT and said "Needs more cowbell". And by cowbell they meant Hannah Montana character designs and Disney afternoon special story telling.

@ca$h: Yes but he now writes exclusively for Stephen King. King having quit writing books himself sometime around 1992.

who cares. Final Fantasy is way too overrated.

@Archaotic: Lets put it this way.

I hated the original one and Im actually playing the new one.

The story is similar but at least this time its just a single person who gets sucked into the other world. That and the characters are a bit better this time around.

The judges now if you follow the laws you get a reward at the end. If you break the rules you just dont get a reward, so its not as irritating as the first one, which I personally fucking hated with a passion

@Modus_Operandi:
Well, it's on a portable system, and EVERYONE knows only little kids play portable systems. Nobody wants mature storytelling or a decent cast of characters (read: ANYTHING without Vaan in it) on handhelds, am I right?

God, this makes me sad. FFT/Lion War was so good and now we get this mass-market crap and we're supposed to be happy about it?

Sadly its on the PSP... which I do not and will not own.

Le sigh.

@Witzbold: The judge system in FFTA is a crackhead rip off of Disgaeae's system. The type of crackhead who takes public poops in alleyways and carries a jar of his own urine.

If no judge/law system i'll buy. It's not about adding a "difficulty" factor to it - that was just downright annoying.

How Squeenix released War of the Lions with the technical problems it had is beyond me. That one really hurt. Advance was just a kick in the balls. I know Witz says A2's better, but still... I think Squeenix has lost me on this series.

@Archaotic: Yes you better. Just like you better like Kingdom Hearts and all its deriavative crap. The DS is only made to do shoot out 2 things. Money and Sugar. Adult storytelling is required to remain in the colon for years, gestating undigested.

FFTA was always a tad overwhelming for me. I enjoyed the game, but when trying to pick what job path for my characters to follow I always felt like a deer in the headlights. I'll probably buy this one, play it for a few months, then give up when I can't make a decision on what upgrades to get. :-P

@Project Thanatos: Pssst. The press release says Nintendo DS right in it, so you're ok!

[QUOTE]
Witness vibrant and colorful visuals in dual-screen presentation, made possible by Nintendo DS.
[/QUOTE]

I'm just glad it sounds like there's going to be real touch screen control. I heard that the Japanese version was pretty much d-pad and buttons only, and it seems to me that a menu-heavy game like this would benefit from touch functionality (see the Advance Wars games). I'm not a huge Final Fantasy fan, but I love the Tactics games, so I can't wait for this one!

@Witzbold: That is probably the most resounding endorsement of this game I have heard yet.

I do still have two gripes with the game though...

Is it still lacking the option to create and name a character and choose any class for them? Or do you still just get random recruits and have race based classes?

And, are the graphics any better than the GBA original? Because the screen shots don't really give that impression.

I really just wish we could get an honest to goodness sequel to the original FFT for the PS1, so as to avoid all the FFTA sillyness.

"War of the Lions for the PSP was nice and all, but this is the FFT game we've been waiting for."

Ahh...no. War of the Lions made my PSP purchase justified. The original FFTA was pretty crappy in comparison, so this isn't close to being the game I was waiting for.

Ahhh! I am so excited! I've been waiting with bated breath for a NA release date. *happy dance*

Personally, I enjoyed the first one but I thought it was incredibly easy. I don't think I ever saw the Game Over screen. I hope this one is more challenging...

@Modus_Operandi: I hear ya. I hated the story in Advance. There is good news, though. Despite the fact that this game once again uses the "schoolkid sucked into a final fantasy world," this Ivalice is supposed to be the "real" one, in continuity with FFXII, FFT, etc. This is in contrast to FFTA, where it was like "the game became real!" I hope that means the story won't suck as much.

On to gameply, I'm still pissed that you can't ROTATE THE FREAKING MAP. Seriously, we have the power. I hope they make good use of the upper screen, but right now I'm seeing a lot of stats and hit %s and stuff cluttering up the bottom. Just let the game be good... or else I will just have to buy a psp and relive the only good FFT game yet made.

How could this be better than War of the Lions of the PSP ?

Please Kotaku redactors ,dont be ridiculous !

THe FFTA games have always been sort of a FFT Lite and frankly worse compared to the original FFT .

This game for example has done in Japan far less sales that the PSP remake of FFT:War of the Lions ..and received worse reviews too ...

I played Advance before playing the original Tactics on PS1, but I have to say that the original was 100x better than the GBA spinoff. I will say this though: I absolutely can not wait for this game. While I could bitch and moan about how the original was better than Advance, I did put in several hundred hours into Advance, and I can easily see my self doing the same with A2, and if they can fix the things I didn't like about Advance, then I'll be all over A2 in a heart beat. Besides, Vaan and Penelo are in it as well, and I loved FFXII.

Also, A2 has done the seemingly impossible and made Vaan cooler. yeah, he now has a shirt!

Meh, I guess I'm crazy when I say I enjoyed the deep gameplay of FFTA over FFT. :/

@Witzbold: That's good to hear. I know this is kind of off topic, but have you played Soma Bringer? I know it's out in Japan, but preview coverage over here has been pretty light. I'm curious about how good it is.

@mangajunky: Agreed! The GBA Tactics Ogre was severely lacking compared to the one for N64 which (don't hate), I thought was surprisingly good--I've played through it maybe three times and always loved it. The gameplay for the GBA one was just not really Tactics Ogre to me--and the DS seems like it would do the old style of gameplay justice.

@Torusan:

Given that FFT was much more complex and deep than FFTA, I'd say yes, you probably are crazy.

@Witzbold: Meh, I didn't mind about the judges punishing since the judges punished the enemies for the laws as well . Muahahaha!

Besides, the game was so easy that I actually enjoyed a crux against me so I could use a new strategy! Instead of the same old sniper, assassin, black mage, etc team I could try new combinations. It made the game (to me) fun and challenging.

Favorite moment: Law~No attacking monsters...I was against an all monster gang.

So I thought to myself until it clicked. Just have some Beastmasters in the field controlling the monsters to attack each other to go to jail! It's moments like these that I cherished FFTA.

@Archaotic: How is it childish? Is it because characters have noses?

Of course now they come out with the tactics game I have been waiting for forever. And I went and sold my psp. Damn you square enix and your ff games I must continue to play.

Oh, thank God for the June release. I can pour hours and hours into it freely without feeling guilt. More life-sucking games should be released in the summer.

I hope dearly that the multiplayer now allows you to actually battle your team against someone else's. It would really extend the game after you're done with the story. I was very sad about the GBA's crappy multiplayer set-up, or lack of rather. If they made it Wi-Fi, even better, but I don't recall hearing anything about that.

Ah. I suppose it's time for me to run out and buy myself one of those quaint DS things, then. Then I can catch up on FF3 also!

...I'm such a FF whore. Couldn't you tell?

@Superstar90 lieks mudkipz: Well, FFXII and FFTactics are the only games that take place in Ivalice, besides Vagrant Story. Now, if they put Ashley in there....ohhhh man, that would be beautiful.

@v12qborony: It's on the DS, not the PSP.

@Modus_Operandi: Well, Matsuno doesn't work for Square anymore. I don't think anybody really knows what he's working on now, although rumors are it's a Wii game.

@v12qborony: You do know this is coming out for the DS right?

Oh, finally. It took them awhile to confirm a North American release, especially considering it came out in October of last year in Japan. I mean, I assumed it was coming here because I have to think that Square likes making copious amounts of money. But hey, there you go.

You people are being mean to a great series. Can't wait for this game.

(Anyways, how is FF full of anime cliches? Compare FFVII to Naruto and *shudder* actually, don't that's offensive to video games...)

@scarletisred:

Anime cliches in Final Fantasy?

The character designs and setting, the plotting and stories, the character archetypes (bishie, amnesiac, mysterious stranger, etc...) the random silly mascot animals, The fact that there are numerous anime made about it....(last order, unlimited, legend of the crystals)

And comparing Naruto to FF7?

Naruto is a silly kids show, and FF7 is a typical jrpg plot full of angst and melodrama laid over a bloated incoherent mess of a story. (made all the worse by the compilation)