FF Tactics Advance! Strategy and Refinement in Final Fantasy

Ma the paths of Fantasy are mysterious and strewn with invisible traces, imbued with pulsating mana, along the main routes of epic plots, so Nintendo, so as not to let slip from its hands the franchise that in 1987 it itself had brought to its queen console (ode to you, my unforgettable and one and only NES!), decided to launch a spin-off that would have the evocative atmospheres of the main series and a peculiar tactical-strategic component, a more thoughtful approach that would have made fans happy on the portable little queen Game Boy Advance promoted with theatrical ads in all the United States and a very aggressive below the line marketing campaign.

And so it was that in 2003 the splendid Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, was released, the result of the partnership between the Kyoto-based company and the then-glorious Squaresoft, at the time a giant in the industry thanks to flashes of genius at both a commercial and creative level, such as Final Fantasy VII, just to name one at random. But let’s go back to Marsh and his friends, the little protagonists of this title, which makes thought-out and strategic battles its obvious strong point: the fights will take place on a sort of chessboard overlaid on the battlefield where the current battle is taking place.

Through our choices, we will be able to attack, defend ourselves, use items, or the many abilities that as we progress through the game we will be able to unlock and master. The game is set in Ivalice, which those of you paying close attention will remember as the game world of Final Fantasy XII (the one with Vaan, the flashy guy with Backstreet Boys-style hair) and that immense masterpiece called Vagrant Story which one day I will talk to you about, rest assured.

Il giocatore impersonates, as I mentioned earlier, Marsh and his friends, the energetic Ritz, Mewt, and Doned. From the very first moments and from the character design chosen to define the protagonists, it is clear that Squaresoft aims to embrace the broadest possible audience, ranging from novice teenagers hungry for Advance titles to attracting strategy purists, whose ID card may not be as fresh as that of younger players, but who in Tactics Advance can find more than one reason to be interested.

Before anything else, the plot: carefully crafted and developed with discernment, it captures our interest right away by structuring the story around the most classic of storylines, one that will initially see the protagonists in their own reference world, a bucolic idyllic village where everyone is friends and hot chocolate awaits them every evening, with snow falling from a sky free of wars and tragedies.

Apropos, the game’s tutorial is iconic because it teaches us the combat system in such a fun and simple way, a snowball fight between children, to the point of bordering on perfection.

Dopoward, with the change of setting following events that I don't want to spoil (spoiler = bad, never forget that), things will get quite a bit more complicated, the rainbow tones will give way to moods that are anything but joyful, where… guess what? Yes, the fate of the world will fall into your hands, but in an unexpected way, inseparably linked to one of the main characters.

Learning the combat system is gradual and rewarding, just as the music, dialogue, and settings will manage to fully immerse you in a story that, in my opinion, is more than worthy of bearing the immortal title of Final Fantasy.