History

Final Fantasy Tactics is a strategy RPG developed by Square and released in North America in 1998 for the PlayStation. For fans of both Final Fantasy and tactical warfare, this game was a dream come true. Set in the kingdom of Ivalice during a time of political strife, the story follows Ramza Beoulve, a young noble caught in a conflict that spans social class struggles, religious conspiracies, and the brutal realities of war.

The game features a deep and flexible job system inspired by Final Fantasy V, allowing players to develop their party members with a variety of classic Final Fantasy job classes. The graphics blend 2D character sprites with isometric 3D battlefields, creating a visually striking and immersive tactical experience. Notably, many of the developers who worked on Final Fantasy Tactics had previously been involved in Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre, two other legendary strategy RPGs.

Square has since revisited this classic with a remake. In October 2007, they released Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for the PSP. This version featured beautifully animated cel-shaded CGI cutscenes that matched the original character art, as well as additional content such as two new job classes—the Onion Knight from Final Fantasy III and the Dark Knight, which was previously exclusive to Gafgarion. New guest characters were also introduced, including Balthier from Final Fantasy XII and Luso from Final Fantasy Tactics A2.

Fun fact: While Final Fantasy Tactics was Square’s first strategy RPG under the Final Fantasy brand, it was not their first foray into the genre. That honor goes to Front Mission (1995) for the Super Famicom. They followed it up with Bahamut Lagoon (1996), a fantasy strategy RPG, though both of these titles remained Japan-exclusive.

The Story

The game’s story is set in Ivalice, a medieval kingdom where noble families hold power through castles and military strength, the church wields immense influence, and commoners struggle under oppression. The war-torn land is recovering from the Fifty Year War, a long and costly conflict with the neighboring kingdom of Ordalia. However, peace is short-lived, as King Omdoria’s death leaves a power vacuum, sparking another brutal conflict known as the War of the Lions.

Two factions vie for control of the throne: Prince Goltana of the Black Lion supports Princess Ovelia, while Queen Ruvelia and her brother, Prince Larg of the White Lion, champion the young Prince Orinas. This war quickly escalates, with both sides resorting to assassination, deceit, and manipulation to gain the upper hand.

Ramza Beoulve, the game’s protagonist, is the youngest son of a prestigious noble family. Initially trained as a cadet, he soon finds himself drawn into the deeper political and supernatural machinations behind the war. Alongside his childhood friend Delita Hyral, who has his own agenda, and Agrias Oaks, a knight sworn to protect Princess Ovelia, Ramza embarks on a journey that challenges his beliefs and places him at odds with the very institutions he once served. Dramatic and highly political events unfold during his journey.

Tips & Strategy

An exhaustive book could be written on the many strategies and effective job class/ability combinations possible in the game. I wanted to keep this short and sweet, and provide you a quick list of what I think are the most valuable abilities in the game.

• Ninja’s Two Swords: This ability lets a unit wield two weapons, often allowing them to defeat enemies in a single turn.
• Knight’s Break Abilities: Mind Break, Magic Break, Power Break, and Speed Break work on nearly all enemies—including the final boss! Combine them with Two Swords and the Archer’s Concentrate ability for devastating results.
• Monk’s Chakra: A lifesaver early in the game, as it restores MP before Ethers become available in shops. This is valuable for your magic-users. And, this is especially valuable for Summoners since their MP is depleted after two summons.
• Summoner’s Golem: This spell completely blocks all physical attacks, making it an invaluable defensive tool.
• Samurai’s Kiyomori: Instantly casts Protect and Shell on the entire party, providing strong defensive buffs against physical and magical attacks as soon as the first round of battle.

My Opinion

Final Fantasy Tactics is an absolute masterpiece. The battles are deeply engaging, and the job system offers an incredible amount of replay value—much like Final Fantasy V. The soundtrack remains one of my favorites in gaming, with tracks that perfectly capture the grand scale and emotional weight of the story.

Some players find the plot overly complex, but I think it’s just right. However, if you take a long break from the game and come back to it, the intricate web of betrayals, shifting allegiances, and hidden agendas can make it hard to keep up. Who’s that guy again? Why did he kill her? What’s a Zodiac Stone?—It’s easy to feel lost if you’re not paying close attention.

If you’re a fan of strategy RPGs, I highly recommend playing Final Fantasy Tactics. I haven’t played the PSP remake, War of the Lions, but I hear it’s excellent. Unfortunately, I never got a PSP, so I can’t comment on it firsthand.

Memories

I tend to be impatient when learning a new strategy RPG. Instead of reading the manual or going through tutorials, I just want to jump in and start playing. That was exactly my approach with Final Fantasy Tactics—and I definitely paid the price!

Have you ever thought you were a master at a game, only to discover a feature you never knew existed? That happened to me all the time with Final Fantasy Tactics. I remember playing one day and realizing, Wait a second… if I press left on the attack menu, it shows the turn order! It was a game-changer, and I couldn’t believe I had gone so long without noticing it.

One of my favorite aspects of Final Fantasy Tactics is the sheer variety of viable playstyles. Back in the early 2000s, I was part of a classic gaming mailing list, and we’d often discuss our preferred job class combinations. Hearing different players’ strategies made me want to replay the game and experiment with new setups.

Even after all these years, Final Fantasy Tactics remains one of the best strategy RPGs ever made. It’s a game I can always come back to and find something new to appreciate.