Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

 PSP
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 456 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 390 out of 456
  2. Mixed: 40 out of 456
  3. Negative: 26 out of 456
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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.
  2. Skinny1982
    Aug 12, 2022
    9
    This was an excellent game and I HIGHLY recommend this game to not only Final Fantasy fans but to all SRPG fans
  3. yeap
    Mar 29, 2022
    10
    An amazing game that improves on an already incredible game. The cutscenes and voice acting really take the game up another notch and the additional jobs and content are great as well.
  4. In-between
    Jan 13, 2022
    2
    This stuff aged poorly. Clunky menus, terrible (truly terrible) AI, confusing class system (they did SO WELL in FFTA) and the story is indeed old by now.

    I was searching for another fft games aside from ffta and ffta2, but this one got me bored in like maybe 2 or 3 hours. Terrible.
  5. Kai82
    Aug 25, 2021
    10
    The improved version of the best Final Fantasy spin off if not even Final Fantasy game. It was overhauled and improved. There are new characters, 2 new jobs and an expanded the rooster of 24 characters (very welcome for me) a top of more changes I wont summarize here. Of cause it has the same strengths as before the remarkable deep and engaging story full of plots, opposing factions,The improved version of the best Final Fantasy spin off if not even Final Fantasy game. It was overhauled and improved. There are new characters, 2 new jobs and an expanded the rooster of 24 characters (very welcome for me) a top of more changes I wont summarize here. Of cause it has the same strengths as before the remarkable deep and engaging story full of plots, opposing factions, twists, betrayals and character development. 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. 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 and character development. 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 even better than before but I should warn you that the game is a bit difficult at the begining. 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. 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. Not all jobs are equally good. Like I said the beginning is a bit hard. The presentation is excellent and I would buy an artbook. The soundtrack is one of the best I encountered in gaming. Overall this is an improved masterpiece and should belong to the library of each RPG lover. A classic made even better.… Expand
  6. KyleChaos
    Jul 24, 2021
    10
    This game is amazing. Every negative review is garbage, I've read every single one of them and those reviews are trash. Do yourself a favor and play this game now.
  7. SaberHazari
    Jun 29, 2021
    10
    Final Fantasy Tactics is the best Final Fantasy game in my opinion(with Final Fantasy 6 and 4 being 2nd and 3rd respectively).
  8. Shmouton
    Nov 19, 2020
    9
    If I could describe this game by renaming it it would be, "Final Fantasy: Game of Thrones".

    The ever-changing story of Tactics is an absolute roller-coaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times. Being a huge Final Fantasy fan, this game gave me an adventure that I was not used to. I loved the battle system with a huge amount of jobs to explore. And exploring and grinding    If I could describe this game by renaming it it would be, "Final Fantasy: Game of Thrones".

    The ever-changing story of Tactics is an absolute roller-coaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times. Being a huge Final Fantasy fan, this game gave me an adventure that I was not used to. I loved the battle system with a huge amount of jobs to explore. And exploring and grinding I did as this game is probably one of the hardest Final Fantasy games ever until you have leveled up enough, understood how the mechanics work and tried the many jobs this game offers.

    The game takes place in the beautiful world of Ivalice with an Art style that aged very well. The characters and their connections were very deep and complicated but very human. This is a must play for any JRPG fan.    … Expand
  9. LGueza
    Sep 23, 2020
    10
    Surpreendente do início ao fim, melhor história em um jogo.
    Pode ficar fácil após o domínio das mecânicas do jogo, mas nada que comprometa a experiência incrível que é jogar este RPG tático.
  10. Memitus
    Jun 26, 2020
    10
    Un juego muy original y táctico. Con una historia muy bien desarrollada y con una banda sonora que encaja muy bien con las batallas. Además presenta una gran versatilidad en el desarrollo de tus personajes para acabar el juego de diferentes maneras.
  11. Addposer
    Jun 23, 2020
    10
    That game... is a nice story, with the option that insted you read the battles you get to play them. If you dont spoil your gameplay with overpowering your chars you have a lot of fun.
  12. HowdyPardner76
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    One of the best games I've played in my life. Spent over 500 hours on it and it is still a game that keeps getting better with the years. There will never be a story as well told as this one in the history of Final Fantasy
  13. MazrimTaim14
    Oct 7, 2019
    10
    Played the original around 10 times. So what would entice me to play this again? Lots and lots of new features and quality of life.

    Orig is around a 9 for me but this, this is a great example of a remaster. pushes it to 10. Loved balthier in this too.

    Game is a masterpiece. Story, graphics, and grinding. This makes grinding so bearable unlike other games.
  14. 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
  15. BarelyLewd
    Mar 15, 2019
    9
    Another amazing title, many people say this game is there favorite FF, and i don't blame them, this game is amazing, story is crazy good, the characters, battle system, classes, maps, and weapon and armor are all top notch, if you love FF games, or tactic games, or even just good games in general then pick up this classic.
  16. Caerleon
    Mar 19, 2017
    8
    Despite the age of this epic game, I still return to it.
    Even after 10 years of release, it still looks nice and pleases the eye. The musical accompaniment of battles is on the heights. The same variety of character development can not boast of modern games.
    A few words about the plot. It's gorgeous. A huge number of plot twists. Only at the end of the game will we know who the true    Despite the age of this epic game, I still return to it.
    Even after 10 years of release, it still looks nice and pleases the eye. The musical accompaniment of battles is on the heights. The same variety of character development can not boast of modern games.

    A few words about the plot. It's gorgeous. A huge number of plot twists. Only at the end of the game will we know who the true friend is, and who is the traitor.    … Expand
  17. mafon2
    Feb 2, 2017
    9
    Story is a mess, tactics are a mess too. If you like micromanagment it's a treat for ya. So many classes with so many abilities and the catch is that you can change classes and choose from the previously learned abilities, so you can have knights with magic and etc. It's insane and it requires tons of time.

    Some parts of story are Nintendo hard, several times I was stuck for a year or    Story is a mess, tactics are a mess too. If you like micromanagment it's a treat for ya. So many classes with so many abilities and the catch is that you can change classes and choose from the previously learned abilities, so you can have knights with magic and etc. It's insane and it requires tons of time.

    Some parts of story are Nintendo hard, several times I was stuck for a year or even more... and sometimes you just keep dying... and dying.. and cursing... But you still return. My advice: have multiple save files!!!

    And it''s long. I'm playing it for several years now and don't see the light of the end credits. Must up all the skills and catch all the beatiful monsters.    … Expand
  18. txemanovelo
    Sep 6, 2015
    10
    One of Square Enix masterpieces. No other RPG besides Tactics Ogre, had such a complex and deep story. One of the most complex games ever made in terms of classes, abilities, equipment and real time tactics. A full exploitation of the Final Fantasy Universe, but with the most sanguinary, greedy and power seeking story posible ever written on any RPG. A must, a jewel and a visionary videoOne of Square Enix masterpieces. No other RPG besides Tactics Ogre, had such a complex and deep story. One of the most complex games ever made in terms of classes, abilities, equipment and real time tactics. A full exploitation of the Final Fantasy Universe, but with the most sanguinary, greedy and power seeking story posible ever written on any RPG. A must, a jewel and a visionary video game. I still cannot believe why a sequel to the WOTL have never been consider, and its a true deception the way Square Enix has developed since that era, when this game and FF VII ruled the world.… Expand
  19. tdunster
    Jul 10, 2015
    8
    It's not perfect by any means due to the text being blurry and hard to read. However, what you do get is a portable FF game that's totally addictive and very hard to put down once you overcome the text / graphics limitations.

    Being 2015 things have come along way graphically on portables but I still think this one is worth owning
  20. Trunks252
    Oct 18, 2014
    9
    FF: Tactics is not a game for the faint of heart. The difficulty is ruthless, whether it be Dark Knights hitting like a truck and healing that same amount, chocobos casting meteor to one-shot your weaker units, or setting up a seemingly impossible battle...However, this is what makes the game so rewarding. Grinding is useful, but nothing can get you to the end of the game except a spot onFF: Tactics is not a game for the faint of heart. The difficulty is ruthless, whether it be Dark Knights hitting like a truck and healing that same amount, chocobos casting meteor to one-shot your weaker units, or setting up a seemingly impossible battle...However, this is what makes the game so rewarding. Grinding is useful, but nothing can get you to the end of the game except a spot on strategy. That is what this genre should be about, and FF: T nails it.

    This added to a wonderful skill learning system, jobs galore, and a satisfying progression makes this game simply one of the best strategy games out there, if not the best. While it may not be my absolute favorite, I can easily understand why many people still cite this as the best of the best.

    This game is not without its faults though. The story undoubtedly has a lot of depth and quality, but it has never interested me. Maybe the writing is not to my liking, or simply that I cannot wait to get back into the battle. I won't subtract points for this however, as the majority of people do thoroughly enjoy it. However I have never been able to finish the game due to poor pacing in the middle, something that can't be forgiven. I should be enticed to finish the game, not have it feel like a chore.

    There are other problems that I can't forgive. The game has several technical problems. For one, major slowdown plagues many of the actions, mostly spells. The camera is also horrid, as there are not a lot of options for it and many times you won't be able to see all the units no matter which angle you point it.

    Another weird problem that has arisen more times than it should have is the randomness of abilities sometimes seems skewed in the enemies favor. This will happen occasionally, and it seems like the game won't let me succeed in my actions while the opponents hit or crit every time. I've not lost to this phenomena, and it doesn't happen often, but it can get annoying when it happens.

    On top of this, the difficulty might not be for everyone. Some especially might not like the perma-death to units that don't get revived in time. I enjoy it, though. It is a nice change from the easiness of modern gaming. Overall this is a very high quality game and is worth playing for EVERY strategy fan. 9/10    … Expand
  21. DenverH
    Sep 19, 2014
    10
    Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions hearkens back to a golden age of video game design where a game had to stand largely on the merits of its gameplay, and the mechanics of this turn-based strategy opus stand the test of time. Not content to simply port a classic title to a newer, portable platform, Square Enix has added beautifully animated, watercolor-style cutscenes completeFinal Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions hearkens back to a golden age of video game design where a game had to stand largely on the merits of its gameplay, and the mechanics of this turn-based strategy opus stand the test of time. Not content to simply port a classic title to a newer, portable platform, Square Enix has added beautifully animated, watercolor-style cutscenes complete with fantastic voice acting. These help convey a tale that is complex, dark, and strikingly human in nature. If you're a fan of strategy games and/or good stories, this is a must-play.… Expand
  22. okamimiyazaki
    Jun 23, 2014
    10
    I'm giving it a 10 because FF Tactics deserves no less. HOWEVER, I really do not like this remake. They did a better job with the Tactics Ogre remake. I would rather play the PS One Classic than this. Some sound quality issues are present and can be noticed when compared to playing the original (e.g. on Vita).

    I don't like the writing style at all. Whoever they hired to write the new    I'm giving it a 10 because FF Tactics deserves no less. HOWEVER, I really do not like this remake. They did a better job with the Tactics Ogre remake. I would rather play the PS One Classic than this. Some sound quality issues are present and can be noticed when compared to playing the original (e.g. on Vita).

    I don't like the writing style at all. Whoever they hired to write the new translation needs to never write dialogue again. I actually prefer the Engrish of the original game to this verbose crap that they call good dialogue. I get what they were going for (medieval feel) but it's annoying, confusing and feels corny.

    Still, same game with same plot, music and mechanics, so I have to give it a 10, because FFT is still amazing.    … Expand
  23. Markus1395
    Feb 18, 2014
    10
    I honestly don't feel like giving a huge review tonight, but let me just say that I firmly believe this is the greatest game of all time. From the masterfully crafted story (holy s**t, a Final Fantasy story that makes SENSE?) to the beautiful sprites, to the impeccable job system, to the amazing characters (some call them "boring", I say they are very realistic. I named my dog Agrias afterI honestly don't feel like giving a huge review tonight, but let me just say that I firmly believe this is the greatest game of all time. From the masterfully crafted story (holy s**t, a Final Fantasy story that makes SENSE?) to the beautiful sprites, to the impeccable job system, to the amazing characters (some call them "boring", I say they are very realistic. I named my dog Agrias after one of the characters, for f***s sake), to the punishing but fair difficulty (that can be decimated with psychotic levels of grinding- and I love it)- everything comes together to make this my most beloved game. I'm confident enough to say that it'll never be topped, either. I've played uncountable amounts of Tactical RPGs, and I think only 3 are really worth extended playtime- and this one is on the top of the heap. Also, don't listen to the guy above me, he apparently can't play TRPGs worth a s**t if he's having THAT much trouble.… Expand
  24. Caestus
    Aug 23, 2013
    8
    Great story with a nice ending. The gameplay let you have various possibilities. But the PSP Remake seems to be done without much effort, having slowdowns during every special attack and magick sequence.
  25. Osidius
    Jul 7, 2012
    3
    This game has no value in the modern SRPG field. Issues include:

    1) The worst thing about this game is the AI. You often have guests - friendly AI controlled characters - on your team that screw up everything. For instance, one of them ran into a doorway, behind which was almost the entire enemy army. He was a strong fighter, so I positioned my White Mage behind him to heal why he    This game has no value in the modern SRPG field. Issues include:

    1) The worst thing about this game is the AI. You often have guests - friendly AI controlled characters - on your team that screw up everything. For instance, one of them ran into a doorway, behind which was almost the entire enemy army. He was a strong fighter, so I positioned my White Mage behind him to heal why he fought. I healed him, it came to his turn...and he used a potion on himself (to restore about 15 of his 78 hit points) and ran away, leaving the enemy army against my White Mage. Horrendous.

    2) You place your characters on grey square tiles before you even get to see the map. Random enemy placement often results in team members being in less than ideal positions.

    3) The camera is horrible. It works off the four angles of the board, so if an enemy is in between walls in the middle of the map you usually can't see them. Worse, you generally have to exit the command menu to actually control the camera.

    4) There's no easy way to check the turn list or AOE on enemies attacks. You have to exit the command menu, bring up another menu, find the character you want and click on them. This really slows games down, as enemies will often charge a spell within two seconds, so you're checking every move to see where you can and can't move and wondering whether they've locked the attack to the unit or tile. The enemy always knows what you've done, but there's no way for you to know.

    5) It's impossible to keep your team alive. Phoenix Downs restore a random amount of health, which is always less than a single hit from an enemy. Trying to restore an ally to health usually results in the death of your healer.

    6) Enemies rank off your highest level character. The game's tutorial suggests you keep a balanced team, but it's impossible when in one mission your entire army dies. You go to town, hire new warriors, find a random battle, and then die instantly because the enemies are 8 levels higher than you.

    I honestly have no idea how this was ever considered any good when it was released, but it certainly isn't any good now. All the Fire Emblem games are basically the same gameplay wise, but they are infinitely better than this. The same goes for Jeanne D'Arc, the Disgaea games and Tactics Ogre.

    I would never recommend this game to anyone. My biggest regret is assuming it would be good and buying it off the PSN, since I can't return it.    … Expand
  26. Aodecim
    Jul 30, 2011
    10
    Simply an amazing portable system game with an interesting story mixed with a fantastic class system. This game takes you to many places and presents itself with a very fine-tuned cinematic sequence. In response to GlennG.'s review, I must say I completely disagree as I have played Jeanne D'Arc and find WotL to be a much more enjoyable experience.
  27. Motion_NYC
    Jun 21, 2011
    10
    One of the greatest games of all time and THE best game on the PSP hands down. The story is like no other, it grabs you from start to finish and the endearing characters make you cling to their every move. 10/10
  28. ImUnavailable
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    I missed this game when it came out on PS1 but I'm glad i finally had the chance to experience this game. The story is incredible and engrossing as the veil is slowly lifted on the corrupt face of Ivalice. The job system works well and combat is always a challenge. The sprite animation is charming and the cut scenes are beautiful. The camera can be a bit unwieldy but this doesn't take awayI missed this game when it came out on PS1 but I'm glad i finally had the chance to experience this game. The story is incredible and engrossing as the veil is slowly lifted on the corrupt face of Ivalice. The job system works well and combat is always a challenge. The sprite animation is charming and the cut scenes are beautiful. The camera can be a bit unwieldy but this doesn't take away from the gameplay. This is an unmissable game for RPG enthusiasts.… Expand
  29. CalebW
    Oct 15, 2009
    10
    This game is amazing i have the ps1 game and i dont have a ps1 memory card so i could never save it i never new this game existed when i tried to look up the ps1 game and found this i ordered it and am very impressed it is an almost exact copy (exactly what i wanted it to be) and is great in every way imaginable i dont really like the way they make them talk different but that dosentThis game is amazing i have the ps1 game and i dont have a ps1 memory card so i could never save it i never new this game existed when i tried to look up the ps1 game and found this i ordered it and am very impressed it is an almost exact copy (exactly what i wanted it to be) and is great in every way imaginable i dont really like the way they make them talk different but that dosent change how great the game is. BEST GAME EVER!… Expand
  30. RhodyTobin
    Oct 10, 2009
    1
    This game has absolutely no polish. It seriously feels like nobody bothered to give it a quick play through before releasing it. The old problems (bafflingly terrible camera, convoluted mess of a story, complete lack of difficulty balancing, broken jobs and characters like the Calculator and TG Cid) combine with whole new ones (lack of quicksave in a handheld game, immense amounts ofThis game has absolutely no polish. It seriously feels like nobody bothered to give it a quick play through before releasing it. The old problems (bafflingly terrible camera, convoluted mess of a story, complete lack of difficulty balancing, broken jobs and characters like the Calculator and TG Cid) combine with whole new ones (lack of quicksave in a handheld game, immense amounts of slowdown during every single move that isn't a basic attack) to bring this terrible old game down to a whole new level. Don't let your nostalgia fool you. This game is unforgivably broken.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PSP Game of 2007
1
#1 Most Discussed PSP Game of 2007
2
#2 Most Shared PSP Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. games(TM)
    80
    As for consolidation and logical expansion, Final Fantasy Tactics: War Of The Lions achieves more for SRPGs than recent efforts from other studios. [Aug 2007, p.108]
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    92
    Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions has a brilliant storyline and addictively deep battle mechanics. The game is pure gold from the beginning to the very end. [Sept 2007]
  3. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    83
    But Tactics is still engrossing, time-consuming fun. [Nov 2007, p.116]
See all critic reviews »