Final Fantasy Tactics

 PlayStation
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Jan 28, 1998
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 420 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 384 out of 420
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 420
  3. Negative: 30 out of 420
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  1. SobBaggot
    Jun 30, 2023
    0
    If I could give this game a 100/10 I would. Soundtrack? On point. Story? Top notch. Combat? Clean and refined. Battle systems? Simple enough to play without a worry, but complicated enough to have a blast if you really dive into it. With probably over 2,000 hours spent on this game and the PsP version, It's easily one of my top 10. Absolute masterpiece.
  2. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this spin off game in the series.
  3. KunioPL
    Sep 26, 2022
    10
    Bardzo dobra gra dla każdego. Świetna muzyka i ciekawy system walki. Ponad 400h spędzonych z grą i to i tak mało. Lektura obowiązkowa. Czekam na remaster.
  4. Onlyclassicvg1
    Sep 17, 2022
    8
    This film noir portrait of corruption and morally-compromised obsessions stars Welles as Hank Quinlan, a crooked police chief who frames a Mexican youth as part of an intricate criminal plot. Charlton Heston plays an honorable Mexican narcotics investigator who clashes with the bigoted Quinlan after probing into his dark past. A memorable
  5. Desserwolf
    Mar 18, 2022
    10
    This game is one of the best games ever made. Story is amazing, gameplay holds up until this day. If you want to see the best strategy rpg ever made you need to play this game.
  6. dankmeow
    Mar 17, 2022
    10
    This might still be the greatest SRPG of all time. The music is so unique to its time and title. A must play for all SRPG fans. A true classic.
  7. DarkwingSchmuck
    Mar 3, 2022
    10
    Final Fantasy Tactics is more than just a spin-off -- it goes toe-to-toe with any of the best entries in the mainline series. This spiritual successor to Tactics Ogre features the franchise's best battle system, as well as a deep, engrossing story full of political intrigue. Final Fantasy Tactics is another Final Fantasy masterpiece, and remains the gold standard for Tactical RPGs.
  8. ThaFlu84
    Feb 12, 2022
    9
    This is an incredible and ambitious Tactics/RPG. For starters, this game has an extensive tutorial and the ability to recap the story and rewatch cutscenes. All are first that I’ve seen in a PS1 game. It also has a vast amount of lore leading up to its story. The world of Ivalice truly feels alive and great care went into its history and world building.

    By far the best thing about this    This is an incredible and ambitious Tactics/RPG. For starters, this game has an extensive tutorial and the ability to recap the story and rewatch cutscenes. All are first that I’ve seen in a PS1 game. It also has a vast amount of lore leading up to its story. The world of Ivalice truly feels alive and great care went into its history and world building.

    By far the best thing about this game is it’s job system. There are 20 jobs (classes) and unlocking them is a thrill in and of itself. You can assign a job to a character and equip them with skills from other jobs. The result is near endless experimentation by mixing jobs and skills. I could easily see myself making a team of Summoning Archers or Time Mage Ninjas in the a future playthrough. There are many possibilities. As glorious as the job system is, it can become quite overwhelming. To prevent wasting job points, I often felt forced to change jobs once I mastered one. Doing this for 5+ characters felt like a hassle. This becomes more apparent the longer you play. Thankfully, your primary job’s set of skills can be used as secondary, preventing you from starting from scratch when changing to a new job.

    I loved playing this game, but there were a few flaws. Some attacks/abilities are unclear as to what attributes are important for their power/success rate. There is guide online but it is extremely complicated. During boss fights, the game suffers from difficulty spikes and/or scripted battles. You’ll learn quickly that these battles need to be done ASAP, as the boss and their minions will slaughter your party, but it diminishes the strategic element of the game. These fights usually end when the boss is in critical condition, making them seem anticlimactic as they vanish off the screen, only to fight them later. This happens often. There are also times where you’ll have consecutive battles. If you aren’t properly leveled up and save in between these battles, you could be stuck in a fight that you can’t win.

    I didn’t find the story outstanding, but it is unpredictable and complex, with drama and mystical elements that I always find appealing. The strategic battles can create some unforgettable moments. One battle, I stole a bosses’ sword, so he was forced to punch me instead of using his regular attacks lol. In another battle, a boss and his minions nearly wiped my party but I killed him with what would’ve been my final attack.

    This game has an insane amount of detail, a nice soundtrack, and the job system is addictive. I can’t imagine that there are many PS1 games better than this.    … Expand
  9. Tommey
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    One of the best games of all time. Strategy-based JRPG with a stellar cast of characters, job classes to level up and max out, dynamic cast of main characters and supporting cast to boot. The OST is one of the most epic I've heard in any video game. I have very fond memories of playing this Squaresoft classic. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a compelling ride from start to finish.One of the best games of all time. Strategy-based JRPG with a stellar cast of characters, job classes to level up and max out, dynamic cast of main characters and supporting cast to boot. The OST is one of the most epic I've heard in any video game. I have very fond memories of playing this Squaresoft classic. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a compelling ride from start to finish. It also has exceptional replayability.… Expand
  10. Ludgrief
    Dec 13, 2021
    10
    This game has just no flaws. It is perfect from the very beginning to the end.

    Of course the graphis didn't age very well, but fortunately it's not the kind of game who needs amazing graphics to be understandable and fun The story brings plot twists, reflections, relevant discussions about life and goals, war and loyalty, with amazing characters with a very cohese personality. the    This game has just no flaws. It is perfect from the very beginning to the end.

    Of course the graphis didn't age very well, but fortunately it's not the kind of game who needs amazing graphics to be understandable and fun

    The story brings plot twists, reflections, relevant discussions about life and goals, war and loyalty, with amazing characters with a very cohese personality.

    the game itself consist in advancing in history and battling through chess-like board fights, which is not bad, since every battle can be challenging and grant you good farm.

    The soundtrack is just one of the best and more imersive ever made, period.

    For those who like challenging games, to heat and blow your mind with every step throughout the story, FFT never gets old.    … Expand
  11. jpflint
    Aug 30, 2021
    10
    This game is so good. I have looked for tactics type games that were anywhere near this for a long time, but haven't been able to find any. I have been waiting for a remaster/sequel for over 20 years now! (and no the tactics advance games do not count or come close).

    The story is what makes this game so good. The visuals, movements, and aesthetics are really pleasing. The music is    This game is so good. I have looked for tactics type games that were anywhere near this for a long time, but haven't been able to find any. I have been waiting for a remaster/sequel for over 20 years now! (and no the tactics advance games do not count or come close).

    The story is what makes this game so good. The visuals, movements, and aesthetics are really pleasing. The music is orchestra quality and captures the moments where each track is played.

    Well done!    … Expand
  12. Kai82
    Aug 12, 2021
    10
    The best Final Fantasy spin off if not even Final Fantasy game. It has a remarkable deep and engaging story full of plots, opposing factions, twists, betrayals and character development. Many of the characters would do well in Game of Thrones political games and Machiavelli would see them as good students. Atop of that the turn based RPG gameplay works really well. The story actuallyThe best Final Fantasy spin off if not even Final Fantasy game. It has a remarkable deep and engaging story full of plots, opposing factions, twists, betrayals and character development. Many of the characters would do well in Game of Thrones political games and Machiavelli would see them as good students. Atop of that the turn based RPG gameplay works really well. The story actually starts far in the future and is told by historian Arazlam Durai. Your hero Ramza is actually viewed by history as a failure as the last disgraceful member of a high respected noble family while the antagonist Delita the best friend of him is one of the greatest heroes of this age. However the historian has uncovered the truth and you will see how things really happened. The story takes place shortly after the end of the 50 years war where the country of Ivalice has repelled an invasion in a hard and costly war. Now there is the problem that there are more soldier than needed for peace times and it is bad to have this many people who are just good at fighting. Later the event which will be called “The War of the Lions” starts (Both factions leaders have a lion in their crest). This is unfold when the king of Ivalice dies and his heir is just a child (4 years old if I remember correctly). So a Regent has to be picked and this draws a lot of attention by the nobles as who ever becomes regent can rule like a King without interference for a long time. Two factions start to gain momentum and each is supported by many nobles and their armies. This is the start of the story and it works magnificent as our protagonist is drawn into this. There are a lot of schemes, groups and organizations involved and twists. It has a lot of depth, lovable characters, growth and progression. For me and many others it is a masterpiece and often on the list of best plots in RPGs. The characters were also excellent and have depth. Ramza is a true hero in a world which eats heroes. He will struggle a lot as his worldviews will be shattered. Delita is one of the most interesting characters I have encountered in games. It ends not there as Orlandu, Melladoul, Argath and others all have interesting stories, clashing worldviews and character development. I wont spoil any of these but praise them. All the antagonist work well and some are intimidating. So the characters and story are truly good but it would not matter that much if the gameplay was awful. Luckily the gameplay works excellent but I should warn you that the game is a bit difficult at the beginning and some quit here. It uses the job system that was introduced in Final Fantasy 5 but with adaptations. Each character has a job class (that can be changed). These have abilities you can unlock with job points. Each action rewards you with some job points and you level up the job level too. This unlocks other jobs if you meet the conditions. There are the usual Knight, Black Mage, Priest and Summoner but also Arithmetic, Samurai, Ninja and more. Some characters have unique jobs that cant be learned (Orlandu is a one man army!). Abilities are divided into categories. You have 2 slots for usable abilities, a move ability, a support ability and a reaction ability. A lot of fun comes from combinations of different abilities and some combos are impressively efficient. I give some advice: Squires JP up ability is immensely useful. You get more job points for each action. Monks have some great abilities. Critical Restore HP heals you when in critical condition and this can be annoying for your enemies and there is a preemptive counter. It worked well for me but I read that others evaluated those as barley working. Possibly because for physical abilities you need a high brave value and for magic high faith (Beware too high faith and characters leave). Back to the advice. Ninjas have an ability to use 2 weapons and Dragons can ignore heights. I end this here. Of cause there are more like heights, terrain, speed, brave, faith, class restrictions and more. It has a lot of depth as you have to learn a lot of the mechanics but it is rewarding. I recommend a guide as some things are hard to figure out. Of cause there are side quests, hidden characters, hidden items, secret abilities, recruitable monsters and poaching. While I view it as 10/10 game it has a few weaknesses. Firstly there is a battle which is nearly unwinnable if you do not know it is coming at Riovanes Castle. Many used 1 save file and their playthrough ended there. With the right abilities it is really easy but you will not have those and cant leave. Some jobs get too weak at the endgame like archers and not all jobs are equally good. Like I said the beginning is a bit hard but this does not decrease my rating. The presentation is excellent and I would by an artbook. The soundtrack is one of the best I encountered in gaming. Overall this is a masterpiece and should belong to the library of each RPG lover. A classic of its time and franchise.… Expand
  13. AlorN
    Feb 17, 2021
    9
    Любителям тактических пошаговых РПГ посвящается. Если словосочетание Front Mission вызывает у вас тёплые чувства, то вам не стоит проходить мимо схожей во многом игры во вселенной Final Fantasy,
  14. SebbyPlaysMusic
    Sep 21, 2020
    9
    There are a lot of things I could say about this game.
    I've spent a ton of time enjoying this game, and I honestly haven't beaten it yet because I got stuck on a main story mission.
    There are plenty of reviews you could read that will tell you exactly what you need to know about this game, so all I'm going to say is... For a strategy RPG, the storytelling occurs very naturally, and    There are a lot of things I could say about this game.
    I've spent a ton of time enjoying this game, and I honestly haven't beaten it yet because I got stuck on a main story mission.

    There are plenty of reviews you could read that will tell you exactly what you need to know about this game, so all I'm going to say is...
    For a strategy RPG, the storytelling occurs very naturally, and actually works amazingly well in conjunction with very finely tuned and challenging battle scenarios to create an experience that's surprisingly engaging for a game that looks like a more complicated version of chess; The writing and game play (difficulty curve / battle mechanics) are of a very high standard, having clearly been refined with care and thought.

    It's not exactly perfection: Particularly the mechanics of character growth could be explained better.
    However, it is definitely a prime experience I would recommend to anyone open to the genre. I can't say I've played too many strategy RPGs, but this is definitely quality right here.    … Expand
  15. Remorse94
    Aug 29, 2020
    10
    Best trpg ever made with best story in the entire final fantasy series. The number of abilities is huge.
  16. JohnMickel
    Aug 1, 2020
    10
    I didn't love this game at first, but once I put some time into it, it quickly became one of my favorites. Amazing story and characters. Deep gameplay. I STILL like playing this game, even 20 years later.
  17. explorerbay
    Jul 20, 2020
    10
    The first game that i played on psx, i remember falling in love with the story and the characters. For me its the best FF game and also the best tactics game ever made. After all those years i am still playing on my phone
  18. iKen
    Apr 13, 2020
    8
    Played on PlayStation.
    Gameplay: GREAT.
    Story: GREAT.
    Graphic: GREAT.
    Music/Sound: GREAT.
    Dialogue: GREAT.
  19. UserReviewsLUL
    Feb 15, 2020
    3
    Extremely overrated. The graphics are only "ok," combat is clunky and basically comes down to rolling and dodging constantly, and the story/characters are boooring.

    I'm especially disappointed because I'd love to play as a magic-heavy character and it comes down to spamming one spell.
  20. Alacritee
    Jan 31, 2020
    10
    One of the best games ever made. Not for everyone, unfortunately. Mobile release is good, not better.
  21. 22446688Bb
    Aug 6, 2019
    10
    The best game planning ever world and the story of beautiful characters breathtaking gameplay more like my constant, simple and wonderful tactic
  22. iron_fist
    May 30, 2019
    9
    First time playing a FF game, and had an awesome experience. Story and characters are interesting. Great 3D chess-like gameplay and a worthy conclusion worth finishing to find out.
    Only downsides are the tedious grinding and 1 or 2 difficulty spikes you'll encounter.
    Still, I highly recommend it!
  23. lord_batman
    Mar 7, 2019
    10
    A great masterpiece of a game that is still reigning as the best strategy rpg of all time despite all the years. Unlike most other srpg games, the story is not aimed for little kids and the extremely high customization potential will keep you engaged beyond the game's main story.
  24. navyvet84
    Dec 3, 2018
    10
    Best RPG on the system. I have 100 percent completed this game including getting the full sets of secret armors. Replayed this game at least 10 times. I would even argue it is the best game on the system period. Hope they make an official FFT2 on the switch!
  25. Nowakowski
    Nov 4, 2018
    0
    Absolutely terrible game. I would not recommend wasting your money on this game
  26. auditbadger
    Sep 26, 2018
    10
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  27. gabes1919
    Mar 30, 2018
    9
    Classic, great game. Unbelievable depth in both story and mechanics. WIll always have a place in my heart, the only reason I had a PS1 memory card
  28. kikutano
    Mar 6, 2018
    10
    This game is stunning, amazing story between two friends with a different path of destiny. Amazing gameplay, super deep, variegated with a superb Job System and Battle System. I love this game, is not for everybody, but when you play it you fall in love. Play it!
  29. mtrkuehne
    Sep 15, 2016
    10
    Look up different ways to keep this game fresh. You can make it VERY hard for yourself if you so choose. My favourite playthrough was a team of all monks with no armor.
  30. night4
    Aug 15, 2016
    10
    Hands down one of the best games ever made. I mean, where else can you make a dancing flying samurai?

    Seriously, the class system and complex combat are where it's at here. It's also rather brutal at first, but I enjoyed the challenge.
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PS1 Game of 1998
6
#6 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1998
8
#8 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1998

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. PSX Nation
    92
    While I still prefer "Vandal Hearts," this is still the best turn based strategy game on the market.
    Read full review
  2. netjak
    92
    While it may be dragged down somewhat by the brief running time, Tactics has the wonderful gameplay that makes it worth that replay or two.
  3. Absolute Playstation
    91
    After you get over this titles considerable learning curve, you can really begin to settle in and appreciate the game for what it is... a wonderfully crafted story!
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »