![]() ![]() Even though the evidence at this point is rather damning, I would still love a return to the original Ivalice brought about by Final Fantasy Tactics, whether that be through a sequel or a prequel. Historically, the franchise has released one title every five years or so before abruptly ending that trend after the seemingly disastrous Final Fantasy Tactics S. ![]() WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY MAXIMA WALKTHROUGH SWITCH SERIESIts legacy will live on, of course, but it is clear to me that the heyday of the series is long gone. “Never” is a strong word and shouldn’t be thrown around liberally, but I’m fairly certain that we’ll never see another Final Fantasy Tactics game. The situation had never looked so grim for the series, so where could things possibly go from here? The Unsung Story ![]() Details surrounding its demise are slim, but things had to have been bad for a mobile title (donning the Final Fantasy prefix) to fold so soon after release. Tactics and turn-based games in general lend themselves to fitting well on any device due to the slower pace of gameplay, but not even that nor the legacy of the series would be enough to save this mobile title from shutting down a mere 13 months after launch. This would not be the first foray into the mobile platform for the series – the original Final Fantasy Tactics earned that honor back in 2011 – but would mark the first new mobile game and first new entry in the series in five years. Tactics would prove to be no exception, with Final Fantasy Tactics S releasing in the Japanese mobile market in 2013. With the rising popularity of smartphones and mobile gaming in the late 2000s, it was only a matter of time before our favorite series would make the jump to the overwhelmingly lucrative platform. Furthermore, it is worth noting that Matsuno would shift from his previous director position (with Tactics) to producer for Tactics Advance. I’ve already outlined why I think a true Final Fantasy Tactics sequel/prequel makes sense, so I’ll keep it short here: Square shouldn’t have abandoned the lore of the original so soon. I don’t fault Square Enix for diversifying their product on multiple platforms, but I don’t feel it was worth sacrificing the far superior atmosphere found in the original Final Fantasy Tactics in the process – if that was the reason for its abandonment. I’m sure that the jump from Playstation to Nintendo had something to do with this tonal shift, but was it really necessary? New isn’t inherently bad – Final Fantasy, for better or worse, has opted for “new” with almost every new mainline entry – but there is just so much potential for expansion on the original Tactic’s narrative that it feels bad knowing it has been confined to a dusty closet for over two decades now. Look, I have nothing against NeverEnding Story but the jump from the realistic, politically charged campaign of Tactics to one with kids throwing snowballs at each other (in the prologue) was a bit too much. To my surprise, Tactics Advance would blaze its own path in the Ivalice universe rather than working off the rich lore established in Final Fantasy Tactics, instead centering around… a group of kids with a magical book. The game was well received and would be a financial success, though not on the same level as the original game. They Chose…Poorlyįinal Fantasy Tactics Advance was released roughly five years after the Western release of Final Fantasy Tactics, sharing many characteristics with its predecessor while introducing some new systems, such as the game-changing “Laws” mechanic that would force players to adapt to strict rulesets on each battlefield. So, what happened to it? Who can really say, for certain, though I can speculate on where things went wrong and what may become of the franchise – if anything – in the future. ![]() While the world of Ivalice has remained alive thanks to its influence and presence in other titles – most recently, Final Fantasy XIV – the actual Tactics branch of games has been silent for over five years now. For the better part of two decades, Square Enix would go on to release three additional titles under the Tactics umbrella, though each subsequent game would prove to perform worse than the one before it, and none would ever come close to achieving the success or adoration brought about by the grandfather of the franchise.Īnd then, nothing. Not only that, it would do well enough to spiral out into its own full-fledged subseries thereafter. Led by Yasumi Matsuno, mastermind behind the Ogre Battle series, Tactics would release in 1997 to universal acclaim, quickly becoming a favorite among the RPG community and easily attaining the “Greatest Hits” label on the original Playstation. For many, Final Fantasy Tactics was the first real taste of the tactical RPG subgenre. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |