Squeenix are the Final Fantasy Tactics sequels any good?

[aweigh]

never tried 'em. how do they stack up versus the original?

 

[Niektory]

If you mean Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, it was way too easy for my tastes, making most battles boring cleanup jobs. The story wasn't very interesting either.

 

[deuxhero]

All I remember about Advance is stealing everything and never getting any item that lets characters learn combos for any job I'd actually use despite fighting a hundred battles. Oh and a shit ton of important items are missable pretty easy.

A2 was better. The "MP starts at 0 while recharging gradually" mechanic was a great idea for keeping low level abilities relevant. It actually worked to some degree too, though a lot of really powerful abilities that don't take MP (the ability to invert an item, combined with the one that doubles its effectiveness kills everything before the post game in one hit). The plot is literally the cast doing irrelevant stuff till the plot comes to them though.

 

[aweigh]

damn. i kinda was feeling urge to jizz all over some SRPG goodnesss

those descriptions sound about exactly what i expected. so, what game is the new FFT?

 

[Damned Registrations]

Nothing, really? The only other contender is Tactics Ogre, which actually came out first. Though the PSP remake fucked around with the mechanics quite a bit, to my knowledge it didn't fix the fundamental problem with the battle system -character levels are WAY too important, to the point that a 5 level difference lets you win a 1 vs 20 fight effortlessly.

 

[MRY]

I like Vandal Hearts quite a bit -- more than FFT, actually, though I realize that's an extreme minority opinion. It's more Shining Force-ish in party size and composition (and even narrative), and it's definitely less Deep and Serious than FFT, but I actually liked its story more as a consequence.

 

[Siveon]

Vandal Hearts is great if you favor map design over character building. Apparently 2 was worse off(? never played) and the XBLA/PSN sequel was alright, but the 1st game, really good SRPG. No doubt about that. In that regard, Vandal Hearts is more like Fire Emblem but simply looks like FFT.

so, what game is the new FFT?

I'm sure SRPG devs have been trying to make the new FFT for years now. Especially Disgaea, which is also a character building series, but goes in the completely wrong direction. You'd be waiting for a while to find a SRPG that checks the same things off as FFT, but that's not to say there's a lack of good-to-great SRPGs out there to play.

To answer your question, specifically: none. And there probably won't be another since SRPGs have gone the way of the handheld/PC (Oh hello Disgaea, Valkyria Chronicles?), and out of the general public eye.

 

[aweigh]

yeah i loved vandal hearts. played it on ps1 ages ago. some of the fights could get nasty i remember sometimes they really pulled the rug out from under ya. then again i was a teen at that time so you know, less smarty. check out the wiz emp2 thread dude hehe

 

[Mychkine]

I have played FFTA 2 a few years ago. It is by no means a bad game. The storyline is quite dull, especially when compared with FFT, but it is not a real turn off in my opinion, especially since Ivalice is a rather interesting place to play in.

More precisely, the storyline takes a lot from The Neverending Story movies for its general aspects, and works quite the same as The Legend of Heroes, Trails in the Sky, with a lot of side quests done as a professionnal trouble solver mixed with a few big-picture related ones.

The game systems are quite good, and the closest to FFT you will ever find anywhere (even if the systems are more streamlined and nerfed). The 0 mana at start up is a good idea indeed and make for more strategic choices for caster characters.

All in one, I think it is a game worth playing if you like T-RPG.

 

[TigerKnee]

There are certainly worse SRPGs but the Advance games simply aren't as inspired as the original for a variety of reasons

 

[Dorarnae]

I prefer Vandal hearts than FFT. FFT is just an unbalanced mess.

vandal hearts 2 is ok, not as good as the first game but it's ok.

 

[Amn Nom]

There is no Final Fantasy Tactics sequel.

 

[Epsilon]

Nothing, really? The only other contender is Tactics Ogre, which actually came out first. Though the PSP remake fucked around with the mechanics quite a bit, to my knowledge it didn't fix the fundamental problem with the battle system -character levels are WAY too important, to the point that a 5 level difference lets you win a 1 vs 20 fight effortlessly.

Wholeheartedly agree, snes version plus translation patch is the way to go.

 

[SCO]

Just search for one of the tens of SJRPG topics here ffs. There is more to the genre than FFT and Tactics Ogre forevermore (though if you insist, The Knight of Lodis is a ok prequel of TO).

 

[evdk]

I have played FFTA 2 a few years ago. It is by no means a bad game. The storyline is quite dull, especially when compared with FFT, but it is not a real turn off in my opinion, especially since Ivalice is a rather interesting place to play in.

FFTA2 has a story? I seem to recall you get sucked in a book, magically transported to Ivalice, shanghaied into a clan and then you just deal with other people's shit until the ending suddenly ambushes you and forces you to fight the final boss out of nowhere (there might be some occassional portents of doom hints, but that's about it).

 

[Abu Antar]

It didn't get favorable reviews and I don't think a lot of people enjoyed it, but I liked Stella Deus: Gates of Eternity. The Fire Emblem games play different from Final Fantasy Tactics but they are great.

There's Wild ARMS XF for the PSP that has a job system. It is a better game than I expected.

 

[Morality Games]

damn. i kinda was feeling urge to jizz all over some SRPG goodnesss

those descriptions sound about exactly what i expected. so, what game is the new FFT?

Legend of Heroes
Devil Survivor series
Stella Glow
Langrisser when it comes out

Probably some indie titles.

 

[SerratedBiz]

Though they are RTwP, I enjoyed some of the Growlanser games.

 

[TigerKnee]

Langrisser when it comes out

That 3DS Langrisser is a shit cash-in with none of the original devs or even the artist of the original games.

 

[Siveon]

Legend of Heroes

Not an SRPG series though.

Stella Glow

Mediocrity: The SRPG.

Though they are RTwP, I enjoyed some of the Growlanser games.

I liked the supposed C&C, but I can't for the life of me recommend Growlanser for the combat. In real time its slower than most SRPGs I've played. The art is great, though.

 

[Perkel]

damn. i kinda was feeling urge to jizz all over some SRPG goodnesss

those descriptions sound about exactly what i expected. so, what game is the new FFT?

Get tactics ogre for PSP and play it on ppsspp emulator (works like charm on toasters).
It is way better game from all sides than FFT.

Story, characters, combat system, minute to minute gameplay, classes all of those are better in TO

 

[Morality Games]

Langrisser when it comes out

That 3DS Langrisser is a shit cash-in with none of the original devs or even the artist of the original games.

Do we know that it is shit? Being made by new people in what is basically a new setting with new mechanics gives it potential as an SRPG if not as a Langrisser game.

 

[TigerKnee]

Do we know that it is shit? Being made by new people in what is basically a new setting with new mechanics gives it potential as an SRPG if not as a Langrisser game.

Say what you want about the general public being stupid or whatever, but having what is close to the lowest possible rating for a product is a huge red flag.

I think the only part of the game that wasn't lambasted is the music... because it consists of remixes from the earlier games

 

[Siveon]

It looks like the FE:Awakening of Fire Emblem games, tbh. I wouldn't try it w/o a demo. The 3DS has way better looking SRPGs, like Devil Survivor or hell, Stella Glow.

Spoiler

Or even Ghost Recon & Lord of Magna

The combat models look really bad, but that doesn't really matter.

 

[Morality Games]

Do we know that it is shit? Being made by new people in what is basically a new setting with new mechanics gives it potential as an SRPG if not as a Langrisser game.

Say what you want about the general public being stupid or whatever, but having what is close to the lowest possible rating for a product is a huge red flag.

I think the only part of the game that wasn't lambasted is the music... because it consists of remixes from the earlier games

I have to weigh that score against the fact the people likeliest to buy it were old Langrisser fans, the people likeliest to be pissed off about one of their favorite classic franchises being re-imagined into a Fire Emblem derivative. The fact they praised the music for coming from earlier games reinforces that.

According to its product description the game straight up lets you be evil and treacherous. That's pretty unique for an SRPG.