Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

In spite of the standard-fare visuals, FFA2 is a game no RPG fan should miss.

The production values in Final Fantasy Tactics A2 are top-notch and Square Enix has really punched up the graphics and sound.

Four hundred quests, lots of customization options, and some of the best turn-based strategy around will keep you playing for a long time.

A great addition to the Final Fantasy Tactics family. Gaming on the go never felt more fun than having an army of sprites fighting on your side.

Without really breaking new ground in tactical gameplay, the game is still able to give you plenty to think about during the excessively long battles. Character and job classes offer something different on the battlefield and this is good news seeing as there are hundreds of quests to take on aside from the main quest.

All these minor faults are soon forgotten once Final Fantasy Tactics A2 starts to slowly take over your life.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is an excellent game by all merits.

When it all clicks, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is a well-oiled adventure combining good design and fun gameplay that any strategy/RPG fan will appreciate. [July 2008, p.94]

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 carries on the fine tradition of the series and, a couple of stylus issues aside, is a natural fit on the DS.

It's a daunting pospect but there are rewards for the brave here. This is a classy, addictive and sophticated RPG. [Aug 2008, p.78]

The gameplay is solid as ever, the visuals and music are well worth a look, and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is a very solid game for anyone in need of a Final Fantasy or turn-based strategy fix on the go.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 offers everything that FFTA offered plus some.

In conclusion, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is a very good game that could have been a lot more. They could have put more effort into the music and graphics and made it a must-have, but it's still good and worth a play.

It's hard to understand why Square Enix didn't put any effort into the story, which would have upped the greatness of this game significantly had it been good. Even after some disappointments, FFTA2 remains worth it for all the reasons that FFTA was: great presentation and solid gameplay.

It's not the best in the genre, but it's a solid title with a ton of value for someone that's looking for something that'll last a while.

Grimoire of the Rift rewards players with a rich tactical RPG experience, but the lack of a meaningful and well-developed plot will leave many desiring more.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 once again takes us to the world of Ivalice and brings along the same addicting tactical gameplay from the last game with some new additions to keep it feeling fresh.

Engrossing tactical fun withthe depth and attention to detail we've come to expect from the new wave of Final Fantasy games on Nintendo consoles. Well worth it. [Sept 2008, p.62]

With its deep Clan system and 400 missions worth of downright addictive quests, I can't help but recommend it. [July 2008, p.82]

With a whopping 400 quests total, it's amazing that the gameplay never gets stale during the 100+ hours it's going to take you to complete A2.

So, yes, there is a little bit of hand-holding going on here. When you're going to play a game for dozens of hours, it’s nice to feel like the game's designers care enough about you to stand by your side.

While not without its flaws, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is a truly excellent turn-based strategy title.

Aside from being visually beautiful in a perfect, picture book way, it has one of the smartest combat mechanics around for any RPG, managing to balance the pace of combat with the patient thought of a strategy game effortlessly.

It’s one of the best single-player games on the DS. Though the story and characters are terrible, it’ll take you several hours to complete the main quest. That aside, you’ll have hundreds of secondary quests, tons of jobs to master, and massive collection of items and abilities to acquire.

A quite uncommon (if not flawless) coupling of remarkable depth with relative accessibility, although it will not take players by the hand through all of its intricacies.

Despite these minor grievances Grimoire of the Rift is a deep and involving game, with excellent presentation and a great sense of scale.

The expanded range of strategic choice and admirably polished presentation push Grimoire Of The Rift right into the top tier. [Sept 2008, p.93]

High production values take the game to a level of quality usually unreached on the Nintendo DS, and the game’s sound and graphics, while a little bit dated, help the battles from becoming too chaotic and move the game’s story along.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 takes all of the divisive elements of its predecessor and runs with them. [Sept 2008, p.119]

Overall, Grimoire of the Rift is an excellent example of quality DS gaming.

A fantastic turn-based adventure that builds directly on top of the same formula used in it's predecessor. It does demand a tad bit too much time due to the slow paced gameplay, but from the time invested you'll be awarded with a great experience. Great battles and a great variety in character development will keep you motivated for this 60 hour plus adventure.

Good-class and nice looking fantasy turn-based strategy game with very simple controls, but with a lot of possibilities, missions and tasks. It’s definitely a long-time run. [Aug 2008]

In fact, games such as these are really losing their style due to the fact that they're sometimes too long—FFTA2 should actually take you 30-40 hours to finish, while taking more than 80 if you intend on finishing every mission and finding every nook and cranny with the job system.

Continues the fine work of the originals, but "Fire Emblem" and "Disgaea" are tighter games. [Aug 2008, p.76]

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is a good game indeed. Not excellent nor notable nor hardcore, yet fun. But if you're a veteran, don't expect a great challenge and don't think this is a successor to the first of the Final Fantasy Tactics series.

As a result, although Grimoire of the Rift is another solid effort that's sure to scratch your tactical itch, the original Tactics remains the pinnacle of the series. [July 2008, p.86]

It remains worth it for all of the reasons that made the original Tactics so engrossing: Switching between different jobs, mastering new abilities from your gear, and recruiting and building your clan all remain as appealing as ever. [July 2008, p.82]

Grimoire of the Rift offers a surprising amount of depth, as highlighted by its impressive number of quests and skills, real-time area auctions, clan management, and unlockables, but many a Tactics fan might be put off by its cheapened quest-based plot progression and battle rules.

With a convincing story and some innovation in the fight system FFTA2 could have been so much more, but it still stands as the best example of the genre currently available for the handheld.

The perfect beginner's strategy role-player, even if it's one you'll eventually abandon for better and more involved alternatives.

A strategic role playing game that does the right things, but hasn’t made any progress from the previous games. Thanks to the quality and the quantity of the product it’s still a very entertaining game and for gamers that haven’t had the pleasure to play the previous games, it’s even better.

If you were thinking about getting this game as an attempt to delve into the world of turn-based strategy RPG’s, I strongly suggest you go buy the first Tactics Advance instead because you will probably have more fun with it, and it will probably be cheaper. Or better yet, go pick up a Fire Emblem game.

It’s a good game, spoiled by its flaws. It deserves to be hated and loved in equal measure

Based on the series' past legacy of excellence, it's just a shame that Grimoire of the Rift feels more like an expansion pack than a bona fide sequel.

The gameplay is open-ended yet lacks a compelling plot and the combat is as solid as ever but veterans of the series will miss being able to fully flex the might of the job system.