Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS) - Gaming World Forums

Topic: Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS) (Read 1299 times)

Print

VinceP

#1 August 10, 2008, 02:27:22 am

avatarless
Group: Member
Joined: Oct 1, 2005
Posts: 241

Sorry if there was already a thread about this. I looked and didn't see one.

I picked up this game the other day, foolishly, without researching it at all first. I've gotta say, I'm pretty disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high.

First of all, the plot sucks. Really, really bad. The first FFTA had a better plot, and that one sucked too. In this one a schoolboy named Luso picks up a book, writes his name in it, and is taken to Ivalice. This happens in less than two minutes. You're rushed right into a battle, and if I hadn't played the first game, I'd have NO idea what I was doing. The tutorial is pretty awful.

The graphics were, obviously, an improvement. The 2D maps are gorgeous and very colorful. The music is great too, thanks to the powerful DS hardware. My only complaint is that it's 90% recycled music from the first game. I expected something original, that I hadn't heard before. But all the music is the same, from the menu systems to a lot of the battles; the only difference is a few added instruments here and there, maybe a tempo change.

Gameplay wise: nothing spectacular. I expected dozens of new, exciting features. I assumed, no, EXPECTED for there to be some sort of WiFi content. Online clan battles and trading would have been cool. There's hardly anything new here at all. There's some new jobs and a new race, all of which aren't very exciting either. What has changed just seems to make the game worse. Acquiring new items and gear is now a pain in the ass. You win "loot" from battles now. You trade in your loot at the shop which makes new items available for purchase, one at a time. Battles are carried out exactly the same as before, but now the law system is slightly more annoying. If you break a law, you don't go to jail, but you can't revive your characters for the rest of the battle and you miss out on winning items. There aren't law cards anymore either (so far in the game anyway), so you can't cancel out a law.

Basically, this game is exactly the same as the first. It's fun, but if you've already played the first game for 100+ hours, it just seems so old and boring now.

What do you guys think of this game?

Logged

Marcus

#2 August 10, 2008, 02:36:57 am

THE FAT ONE
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Sep 28, 2002
Posts: 2690

I just recently had a revelation and realized why FFT rocked and FFTA/A2 suck.

Final Fantasy Tactics = Tactics Ogre with Final Fantasy job system
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance/A2 = Actual Squenix games

The advance series seems to be more focused on the gameplay aspect of constantly battling and getting more loot without having any motivation (story) to continue forward. They might as well just make an arena battling game using the tactics rules and have random items or something. People would still buy it but at least they don't have to take the time to come up with a dopey plot.

Logged

dark_crystalis

#3 August 10, 2008, 04:30:06 am

The devil himself
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Jun 26, 2003
Posts: 790

FFTA2 is pretty much just FFTA with a few more features. I was also very disapointed and the plot sucks even more so yeah... I think I'll be playing Front Mission instead!

Logged

maladroithim

#4 August 11, 2008, 06:01:29 pm

Epic Hero
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Jun 22, 2004
Posts: 1008

I like FFTA A2 a lot actually

Logged

MysteriousWanderer

#5 August 11, 2008, 06:22:29 pm

I wander alone
Group: Member
Joined: Sep 20, 2003
Posts: 150

So far I'm about 22 hours into the game and I have absolutely nothing driving me to continue the storyline. It's pretty much been "hmmmmmm I think <insert place here> has some leads about me getting home! Let's go there!" since the beginning. The only thing that's probably keeping me playing is the battles/items/jobs.

The battle seem slower too or maybe that's just me. I never did like how an AOE spell shows how much damage it did to each person one by one.

Logged

EvilDemonCreature

#6 August 11, 2008, 08:15:52 pm

i don't like change
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Jul 5, 2002
Posts: 1453

How easy is it to completely ignore/skip following the plot/story?

Because I heard it was pretty well worth playing outside of that aspect. (I skipped playing through the first one. I'm assuming this one is essentially the same thing, but tweaked and improved enough to play it over the first if you get to choose between the two.)

Logged

Nessiah

#7 August 11, 2008, 08:34:42 pm

So-Called Manga Artist
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Mar 18, 2007
Posts: 2165

Quote from: MysteriousWanderer on August 11, 2008, 06:22:29 pm

So far I'm about 22 hours into the game and I have absolutely nothing driving me to continue the storyline. It's pretty much been "hmmmmmm I think <insert place here> has some leads about me getting home! Let's go there!" since the beginning. The only thing that's probably keeping me playing is the battles/items/jobs.

The battle seem slower too or maybe that's just me. I never did like how an AOE spell shows how much damage it did to each person one by one.

Basically this, I played FFT, Ogre, TA and TA2, and I noticed TA (Finished this as in complete 100% completion) and TA2 (can't finish it's essentially felt the same and I just don't have the drive to finish this) are the worst =_=
The battles are slow at least the judge system isn't annoying as before, rule #1 dont attack beasts then all of my enemies are 4 legged creatures all of us has to go to jail!

Basically yeah,

Quote from: Marcus on August 10, 2008, 02:36:57 am

I just recently had a revelation and realized why FFT rocked and FFTA/A2 suck.

Final Fantasy Tactics = Tactics Ogre with Final Fantasy job system
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance/A2 = Actual Squenix games

The advance series seems to be more focused on the gameplay aspect of constantly battling and getting more loot without having any motivation (story) to continue forward. They might as well just make an arena battling game using the tactics rules and have random items or something. People would still buy it but at least they don't have to take the time to come up with a dopey plot.

This is so true.

Last Edit: August 11, 2008, 08:37:47 pm by Nessiah

Logged

jaller141

#8 August 11, 2008, 09:35:36 pm

goin to 200( Ya I made it)now 300
Group: Member
Joined: Dec 31, 2005
Posts: 204

I enjoyed it... but then again the only other game I played like it was the First FFT... but that was for DS...
FFT had a great plot, lots of classes (which is a reason I replay it... alot...)
FFTA2 I might replay abit... but I've already mastered the Fighter class (oh yeah... the class system... I don't like it...)
I liked FFT because you actually could choose the skills you wanted... rather then have to find the loot to build the item which teaches it... because I still haven't found the items needed to teach my ninja duel wield...

Logged

tsimehC

#9 August 11, 2008, 10:17:18 pm

Fire Emblem FTW!
Group: Member
Joined: May 20, 2007
Posts: 62

I gots de Dual Weild. xD

I've played over 50 hours so far and I like it a lot. The story sucks though but I don't care much for that.

Logged

goat

#10 August 12, 2008, 01:07:28 am

BAA2U
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Aug 7, 2007
Posts: 1403

I'm enjoying it. I agree that it feels like a rehash of FFTA1, and the story is ass, but even if it feels like an expansion pack to FFTA, it's still new FFT content for me to play. I loved FFTA so maybe I'm a bit biased, but I also liked tactics ogre and FFT before it. It's one of my favorite RPG systems, so not only the gameplay itself, but also the thrill of new jobs/abilities/items is enough to keep me going. It's also a bit harder than the first FFTA, and lets you choose hard mode right at the beginning, so that's also a plus. The Law system is a challenge with more rewards and worse punishment, especially since now they will only apply to you, and not your enemy. It's very creative how varied they made the laws this time around. I also like the bazaar, where you can unlock weapons in the store by collecting loot from missions. For a FFT fan, I'm disappointed at the story (I'd rather have no idea whats going on from an overly complex story, than have some silly "trapped in a magic book" adventure), at the lack of new music, and the horribly lame main character... but I'm still enjoying the hell out of this game just like the first FFTA, and that's just fine with me.

Logged

the_hoodie

#11 August 12, 2008, 04:15:56 am

asdfg!
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Mar 15, 2006
Posts: 419

It's a really fun game but the story is horrible.

So basically what everyone else says/said.

Logged

Ohlichris

#12 August 12, 2008, 02:14:39 pm

Mystery Solving Musician
Group: Member
Joined: Jul 29, 2005
Posts: 526

From what I've seen it looks like an enjoyable game. Too bad the story sucks.

Logged

Rajew

#13 August 14, 2008, 04:15:07 pm

god damn it man-o-war god damn it
Group: Member
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 1133

For the people who have been asking: Yea, it's pretty easy to avoid the story once you do the first few missions. I complete every single quest I can before moving on to story missions and getting to the next 'tier' and I've stacked 50ish hours into the game and my A-Team is made of level 50 characters while the story quest monsters are around level 30 (I might have overdid it a bit)

don't mind me, just postin' after a few brewskies

Quote from: Brent Murray on December 25, 2009, 07:15:11 am

somebody’s Barkley --- could be another’s Monopolo.

Logged

EvilDemonCreature

#14 August 14, 2008, 07:28:48 pm

i don't like change
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Jul 5, 2002
Posts: 1453

Quote from: Rajew on August 14, 2008, 04:15:07 pm

For the people who have been asking: Yea, it's pretty easy to avoid the story once you do the first few missions. I complete every single quest I can before moving on to story missions and getting to the next 'tier' and I've stacked 50ish hours into the game and my A-Team is made of level 50 characters while the story quest monsters are around level 30 (I might have overdid it a bit)

It's definitely something I'm going to have to watch out for. Because I have the same attitude, but I always want to pick the "exp +" privilege when I do those quests.

Logged

Rajew

#15 August 14, 2008, 07:51:51 pm

god damn it man-o-war god damn it
Group: Member
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 1133

Exp+ privilege? There's one of those? Man, all of my privileges suck except for MP channeling and Move+1. The only way to get new privileges is Clan Trials but I've max of each of the clan attributes or whatever they're called, and I don't wanna de-max them so I guess I'm stuck with MP Channeling...

don't mind me, just postin' after a few brewskies

Quote from: Brent Murray on December 25, 2009, 07:15:11 am

somebody’s Barkley --- could be another’s Monopolo.

Logged

goat

#16 August 16, 2008, 12:08:02 am

BAA2U
Group: Premium Member
Joined: Aug 7, 2007
Posts: 1403

Quote from: Rajew on August 14, 2008, 04:15:07 pm

For the people who have been asking: Yea, it's pretty easy to avoid the story once you do the first few missions. I complete every single quest I can before moving on to story missions and getting to the next 'tier' and I've stacked 50ish hours into the game and my A-Team is made of level 50 characters while the story quest monsters are around level 30 (I might have overdid it a bit)

Yea, I like doing all the available missions before doing the actual "story" related quests. And as a result my guys are about level 35 where most quests are at 25. To counter this, I started using entire parties of the new recruits in my clan who are at about level 22-24, and only have 2-3 abilities mastered. It makes the battles harder which is much more fun.

Quote from: Rajew on August 14, 2008, 07:51:51 pm

Exp+ privilege? There's one of those? Man, all of my privileges suck except for MP channeling and Move+1. The only way to get new privileges is Clan Trials but I've max of each of the clan attributes or whatever they're called, and I don't wanna de-max them so I guess I'm stuck with MP Channeling...

Exp+ seems nice, but I would probably be WAY higher level had I used it, which would be pretty bad. Now AP+, theres something I wish I had at the beginning...

Oh, and don't worry about your stats, mine have demaxed and maxed so many times I just don't bother with them. Go ahead and do the clan challenges for some newer privileges (and some fun/frustrating challenges). I personally prefer MP channeling, due to my summoner/white mage and my illusionist/time mage. Power+ and Agility+ are good for boss missions or nasty melee fights, but for the most part, I usually just pick MP Channeling. MP channeling allows a summoner to summon every turn! Combined with an elemental absorption cloak, I just cast it over the enemies + her and she deals damage plus heals herself. My time mage is also able to quicken on every one of his turns, which can be a godsave at times. Not to mention his mana fills up for his illusion abilities in no time if he just hastes himself.

Last Edit: August 16, 2008, 12:11:00 am by goat

Logged

Ultimaweapon9

#17 August 17, 2008, 03:19:45 pm

Ultimaweapon9
Group: Member
Joined: Jul 25, 2004
Posts: 322

I'm very glad I didn't buy it. I enjoyed FFTA but it couldn't measure up to the brilliance that was FFT. But I played FFTA2 for about 5 hours, and just couldn't get into it.

I'll just keep playing War of the Lions for PSP. Much better.

Logged