'' is a strategy Video Game for Nintendo 's Game Boy Advance . It is a spin-off of the popular '' Final Fantasy '' series, but not a sequel to 1997 's '' Final Fantasy Tactics '' (although they share several traits), and was produced by Square Enix .
''Final Fantasy Tactics Advance'' is the story of Marche, Mewt, and Ritz; three misfit children who live in a small town named St. Ivalice (which shares its name with the setting of the PlayStation predecessor '' Final Fantasy Tactics ''). The children find themselves transported to a realm of the same name as their town (" Ivalice ") after discovering an ancient magical book. This magical realm of Ivalice appears to be Mewt's manifestation of the video game "''Final Fantasy''," which the three children have played. Fans have speculated that the game in question is actually '' Final Fantasy XII '', and that this is the link between the two games that developers have continually mentioned. This is currently unconfirmed.
The game is a strategy-RPG title in which the player assembles a clan of individual characters, and controls both their actions in battle and their efforts within the game. There is a strong focus on player freedom, with a great deal of liberty given in deciding the classes, abilities and statistics of characters (within the game's ruleset, of course).
To many, the game's storyline and presentation have a light-hearted feel, although the game's popularity spans young and old alike. While many elements of gameplay in ''Final Fantasy Tactics Advance'' are the same as in its PlayStation cousin, this installment sees the introduction of a system of laws.
''Final Fantasy Tactics Advance'' is sometimes called ''Tactics Advance'' or just ''Tactics'', though the latter causes confusion with the other game of a similar name Final Fantasy Tactics . It is also commonly abbreviated as ''FFTA''.
Marche starts his adventure in a town called Cyril where he joins a mercenary clan. Later he gains the ability to buy missions that will, for the most part, be accomplished in a precise location (the location is described in the mission's description). After winning the mission, Marche will get a monetary reward as described. Marche can also buy new equipment and sign up for other missions in towns. There are 3 types of missions:
- The where Marche's entire party heads off to complete a mission in a particular location. Sometimes, rare items can be found, and many of these missions can be used to advance the plot, or several sub-plots.
- The where Marche can send one member from his party to go complete a mission. Some of these missions actually advance the story, such as the ''Hero Gaol'' subquest, in which the clan must retrieve the two legendary blades of the mighty hero Gaol . In order for a character to accomplish this mission and return, Marche must complete a certain task. Sometimes it is as simple as walking around for several days, and other times, Marche must fight a certain number of battles(for example, he might be required to battle until he has killed 10 enemies since starting the quest, or fight three battles) in order for them to finish the quest.
- The is where Marche can battle a rival mercenary clan by buying a mission or meeting them on the map. There are two types of clans - the more common clans are red Soldier icons on the map, and these appear randomly every few days and likewise disappear after (usually) 6 days. The second type is the kind only fightable through accepting a mission, and when the mission is accepted and Marche leaves the town, they will appear on the map as a blue Soldier. Unlike the red Soldiers, their duration timers are much longer (usually 15-25 days) or they never leave until Marche has defeated them or surrendered to them. In the second type, Marche may be able to avoid a fight by certain conditions(turning in money, giving an item, or simply surrendering), but this most often results in failure. These missions often advance the plot or a sub-plot.
The map looks like that of ''Final Fantasy Tactics'', but with the same principle as '' Legend Of Mana ''. As soon as Marche starts off on his adventure, the map will be completely empty except for Cyril, which is the first town, and Giza Plains, which is the area in which the first mission takes place, both of which are placed by default. When Marche wins some important mission(s), he will get to place a location anywhere on the map. Depending on where Marche places it, the enemies and fights will be somewhat different. In addition, placing locations next to each other often triggers a "treasure hunt," in which an option to retrieve treasure appears when a locale is selected. Different combinations of locale placements yield different results, some earning rare items in the process.
Before Marche goes into a fight, it's best for him to look after his characters. With the menu screen, Marche has the ability to set the desired configuration for his mercenaries. The first thing that Marche should do is equip his character with some accessories (sword, armor, shield, and others) available for their job. The second option is to set abilities depending on their job and accessories. The third one concerns changing their jobs. Marche and his clan members can only change their job when they have mastered some abilities in their initial job. This differs from the old ''Final Fantasy Tactics'' job system in which they were able to change their jobs as soon as they achieved a certain level of experience in that particular job. The last option available to Marche is the option to fire one of his clan members (with the exception of a few story-critical characters like Montblanc). Such an option might be necessary to recruit a unit that can prove to be more useful than the fired one.
- The central hero of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The game begins right after Marche and his brother, Doned, move to St. Ivalice with their mother after their parents' divorce settles. The natural environment of St. Ivalice was thought to be better for Doned's severe illness. Marche participates in a snowball fight on his first day of school and plays on the same team as Mewt Randell and Ritz Malheur, both of whom he quickly befriends and later invites back to his house to see Mewt's new book. When the world is transformed into Mewt's dream world, Marche is the only character that wants the world to return to normal. Because of this, Marche is forced to battle with his own friends, take away their (and his own) dream world, and make the others see that they cannot continue a world that is simply not real. During the game, Marche ends up telling Doned about how he would keep all his emotions caged in for his brother's sake, and how hard it was to never receive attention from either parent. These tasks prove to be the most difficult challenges that Marche struggles to overcome, even more so than the many battles he fights throughout Ivalice- especially because he himself is not entirely sure if what he is doing is best. Marche bears a striking resemblance to Ramza from Final Fantasy Tactics, and also shares many personality traits.
- A stubborn girl who speaks her mind. She was friends with Marche and Mewt in St. Ivalice before the world change. Her outspoken nature and strong sense of justice led to her unpopularity among schoolmates. Ritz's natural hair color is white, but she relentlessly dyed it red to hide her secret. Towards the end of the game, she reveals that she doesn't want to go back to the real world because her mother looked heartbroken whenever she dyed her (Ritz's) hair. This desire leads her to consider aiding Mewt in finding Marche, and eventually, her clan battles Marche's in Siena Gorge near Ambervale. At the conclusion of the game, she learns to accept her white hair as beautiful with the help of her Viera friend Shara. A brief scene after the main game suggests that she may have a crush on Marche, though it never comes to fruition. The Official Strategy Guide features an image of Marche and Ritz together in a somewhat romantic pose, and the Official Nintendo Website portrays just the two of them (cut from the box art) on the splash page. Interestingly, Ritz takes jobs available to Viera instead of Human, and summons the Viera totema instead of the human one.
- A boy whose mother died some time ago. Her last gift to him was a teddy bear, which he carries around to remember her. He discovers a magical entity known as the Gran Grimoire sealed in a book that he found in a used book store. Much to his (obvious) surprise, he finds that the entity has the power to shape reality to the wishes of whomever possessed it. Acting on his deepest desires, the entity changes the world into the nation of Ivalice. In this new dream world, Mewt's mother is alive, his father is the most revered man in the nation, and all of them compose Ivalice's royal family. Upon learning of Marche's attempts to destroy this dream world, he uses his power as the Prince to institute a nation-wide manhunt for his world's would-be destroyer. It isn't until after the final battle, he decides to return the world to normal. Incidentally, he is the only member of the main cast to not be present after the conclusion of the game (when players are able to go on optional missions that were not previously available). However, he is mentioned in these after-ending quests, and one mission even involves Babus trying to find his majesty's lost teddy bear (which Mewt paradoxically seems to have left when he returned to the real world, although Babus' words seem to suggest that the Prince and the Queen are still in Ambervale).
- Marche's little brother, he is partially paralyzed from an unnamed disease that he has had since birth. It is for this reason that he is so reluctant to return to the real world once he is transported to Ivalice, as in the dream he is able to walk and play as he always wished he could and he never has to deal with making constant visits to the hospital, a place he clearly does not enjoy. He feels his brother is being selfish by trying to change the world back, hence taking away his ability to walk. As such, he reveals Marche's location to people such as bounty hunters, Materia thieves, and guards, attempting to thwart his quest to return to the real world. The two later reconcile their differences, and Doned joins Marche's clan. However, he is supposedly too young to Engage and must sit on the side-lines, instead providing Marche with advice he gained through his seemingly many information connections throughout Ivalice. Interestingly, he forms his own clan after the "Ambervale" icon is placed, and this clan forms at Ambervale. He is still supposedly too young to engage, however, and you may not fight him.
- Cid is Mewt's father. He became despondent and listless after the death of his wife and so has been unable to hold down a proper job ever since (incidentally, he is also an alcoholic in the Japanese version). When the world is transformed, Cid is made the Judgemaster of Ivalice -- the leader of all the Judges -- and is the husband of Queen Remedi. At first, the Judges and the Palace are connected and are considered one and the same. However, towards the game's end, Cid realizes that he cannot maintain true and just Law if he is under the control of the royal family, so he severs all ties to the Palace and makes the Judges a separate entity of their own. Cid at first has no memory of the real world and opposes Marche, but eventually he regains the memories of the man he once was and then supports Marche in his cause. He is responsible for breaking the "Fortune" Law placed upon Llednar, rendering the boy vulnerable to Marche's attacks.
The World as Mewt fantasizes.
- : A Moogle that befriends Marche. He saves Marche from a run-in with some offended Bangaa, and offers him membership in his newly formed, as-yet-unnamed clan (Nutsy is the clan's default name, but can be changed by the players). He teaches Marche how to Engage and other aspects of the world of Ivalice. Also, his name may or may not be a reference to the Mont Blanc of Geneva, Switzerland, which is mentioned several times in Mary Shelley 's '' Frankenstein ''. Montblanc is the leader of Clan Centrio in '' Final Fantasy XII ''.
- : Montblanc's kid brother, an apprentice gadgeteer. He becomes a trader of rare items after his airship is severely damaged in a "hit and run," forcing him to borrow money to repair it. He also makes a present for Mewt out of some Materite to allow Marche to gain an audience with the prince. Nono later sells Trade Items to the party after linking with another player. Nono appears as an airship mechanic in '' Final Fantasy XII ''.
- : A Nu Mou trouble maker (and self-referred genius) who creates the Anti-Law Cards. An ally of Marche throughout the game, he is the first non-generic character (i.e. unique, story-relevant character) to join Marche's clan (not including Montblanc). He also trades Law Cards and provides card information at his shop in Cadoan. Ezel's job is Hermetic, giving him the abilities Astra and Azoth.
- : A Viera archer (and later, Sniper) who befriends Ritz and allows her to join her primarily Viera clan. She is afraid of bugs. At the end of the game, she says that Ritz's white hair means that she was blessed by the Viera gods, and if it means she is rejected in the Human race, she will always find acceptance among the Vieras, which may account for why the clan Ritz joins is entirely composed of Vieras (some fans, however, have questioned why she did not mention this when she previously had an opportunity to do so). Shara later joins Marche's clan through an optional mission; while possessing skills typical of an advanced Sniper, Shara has excellent and rare equipment.
- : The Nu Mou Royal Mage in Mewt's service. He lives to serve the royal family, especially Mewt, and is extremely reluctant in believing Marche's story of the "real world." Marche must fight him in the battle to destroy the crystal of Exodus, but he later becomes an ally, helping Marche to meet with Mewt. He joins the clan after an optional mission is completed. His class is Runeseeker, a special class that includes powerful magic such as Demi, Explode, and Stillness, from varying forms of magic.
- : A mysterious enforcer who replaces the Judges when they become independent from the Palace. After his defeat, Llednar is revealed as the embodiment of Mewt's anger and hostility. His name is Mewt Randell spelt backwards, and is an "inversion" of the normally timid and shy Mewt. He was invincible in battle due to a "Fortune" Law put into effect by Queen Remedi, but when Cid nullified this Law with Ezel's help, Marche was able to defeat Llednar, causing him to turn to stone and crack. He is a Biskmatar, a royal guard that can learn some insanely powerful moves, including his trademark move, Omega, an attack that apparently is as powerful as Ultima.
- : The ruler of Ivalice, she was the Gran Grimoire itself in a form modeled after Mewt's deceased mother. She is the game's final boss, in two forms. In her first, the "Battle Queen," she attacks with a sickle-like weapon. In her second form, the "Li-Grim," she uses magic, such as summoning random Totemas, Alpha (an attack that is more powerful than either Omega or Ultima), and can change the laws. Many of the latter's attacks can inflict enough damage to kill units in one hit, and some are able to strike all units.
- The head of Clan Borzoi, seen in optional missions. He wants to control all of Ivalice, and when he fails, he enlists the aid of the Redwings, a crime syndicate in Ivalice, to do so. He also uses the power of darkness, and fights Marche in the "Free Bervenia" mission, in which he reveals his true form (a vampire).
- The leader of the Redwings; while many of his subordinates are Moogle Mog Knights, he is a human Paladin. He has four powerful monsters, the Falgabirds, at his disposal (modeled after the four Fiends of Final Fantasy), and is only vulnerable when the player gains the Spiritstone, formed from the sigils that his Falgabirds carry, and uses it as a mission item.
One of the central features of ''FFTA'' is the Laws system. Laws are set by Judges, invincible Chocobo -riding Arbitrator characters present at each battle excluding those taking place in the Jagds. For example, there are laws that forbid the use of certain weapons, items, elemental spells, or status changes. Breaking a Law results in punishment by Carding; the receipt of a Red or Yellow card (in a similar manner to Red and Yellow Card s in Soccer ) and possible imprisonment. Imprisonment happens if a character infringes a law twice or if it KO'S another unit with a forbidden ability or Weapons. Jagds have no laws but the down side is that characters KO'ed here will die and permanently leave the Clan if they are not revived by the end of the battle.
To offset the difficulty of having things forbidden for use, there are certain things that are "Recommended" by the Judge for use, and therefore grant Judge Points. For example, if "Items" are forbidden, but "Poison" is recommended, a character who uses an ability that Poisons another character will receive a Judge Point. Judge Points (JP) are used to carry out Combos with nearby allies or to summon a racial Totema when the unit has ten JP. Judge Points are also received upon killing an opponent. Also when you kill an opponent with the special Hunter ability (humans only) Hunting you receive 10 JP instantly. Later in the game, Marche gains the ability to add new Laws and cast "Anti-Laws," which can nullify laws that are already in effect. However, in a few missions involving tournaments at Bervenia Palace, Marche cannot add new laws or nullify the laws that exist.
''Tactics Advance'' introduces a variety of races. Each race can take up certain "jobs" that govern what abilities the character can use in a similar manner to '' Final Fantasy XI ''. Each race has a guardian beast called a to represent them and which can be summoned to their aid when a member of that race has 10 Judge Points. These Totemas do massive damage to the entire enemy party's HP or MP, depending on the race of the summoner.(Note that every race can also be seen in Final Fantasy XII. The Bangaa and Viera are seen only in FFXII)
The races are as follows:
- ''). Humans are the only ones to take the Blue Mage, Paladin, Fighter, Ninja, and Hunter jobs.
- '' games (usually white and pink but brown in FFTA). They specialize in jobs of dexterity that involve engineering or deftness of hand. Jobs are Gunner, Animist, Juggler, Time Mage, Black Mage, Thief, Gadgeteer, and Mog Knight. The Totema linked to Moogles is Famfrit (based on the final boss Dark Cloud in '' Final Fantasy III ''). Moogles are the only ones to take the Gunner, Animist, Juggler, Gadgeteer, and Mog Knight jobs.
- ''). Nu Mou are the only ones to take the Beastmaster, Morpher, Sage, and Alchemist jobs.
- ''). Vieras are the only ones to take the Fencer, Red Mage, Elementalist, Sniper, Assasin, and Summoner jobs (as well as being the only species in the game that can equip rapiers).
- ''). They consider it an insult to be called a "lizard", presumably because that compares them to less intelligent, albeit similar creatures- much like how in reality it is offensive for humans to be called a 'monkey' or 'primate'. FFXII, however, tries to give another explanation for this. Every single Bangaa job is specific to the race and they are Warrior, White Monk, Templar, Dragoon, Bishop, Defender, and Gladiator.
There is a great amount of classes in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance including and''' Gladiator '''. Each job class has specific types of equipment available to it, and various abilities specific to that class. The only way to use and master abilities is to join the class in question and equip a specific item.
Most equippable items have various abilities assigned them. These abilities are available for use only while that item is equipped. However, abilities can be mastered by fighting in battles. Every time a battle is completed, characters will receive a specific amount of Ability Points (AP) distributed over their currently equipped abilities. Once a target amount of AP has been accumulated for a given ability (anywhere from 100-999), the character will master that ability. The character retains it for use at any time, regardless of the items equipped and job chosen.
This gives the player long-term strategic goals, swapping characters in and out of jobs and changing their equipment in order to obtain a desirable range of abilities while trying to maintain a balanced, effective unit. A dilemma arises in the case of a weapon that is fairly weak, but has a good ability attached to it. This requires players to draw a balance between fighting power and the long-term goals of their characters.
Later in the game, creatures' abilities can be captured by using the Nu Mou job's Morpher ability and the Blue Mage job's Learning ability. Usually these monsters' abilities are physical-attack based (with great attack power behind them to offset this) but occasionally will have a magical attack.
A radio drama based on the game.
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