Final Fantasy Tactics A2: The Sealed Grimoire[DS, release unknown]updated 6/29/07

[ChRed2AKrisp]

With square's launch of the ivalice alliance project comes the sequal to FF Tactics Advance. THe term sequal is used lossely, since the plots of both games have nothing to do with each other.

Plot summary:

The new Final Fantasy Tactics game doesn't begin with a snowball fight. But like its predecessor, it does start off in the real world as the main character, Luso, finds himself locked away in a library as punishment for pranks pulled at school just before the start of summer break. He writes his name in an old book and gets sucked into the fantasy world of Ivalice.

Unlike FFXII, the storyline in A2 is meant to offer the feeling of a "light adventure," Murasawa disclosed to the magazine. Upon being sucked into the world of Ivalice, Luso merely decides to do a little adventuring rather than immediately thinking that he has to go home.

SOme gameplay info:

Square Enix is working on some new twists to up the strategy in the game's grid-based battle system. The number of character jobs has increased. Famitsu provides a look at a samurai-like job and a magic knight, although the actual identity of these two is still a mystery.

The game also promises some tough boss fights, with some bosses so big that they take up multiple squares. Some large-scale standard enemies will appear too, revealed Murasawa. These large foes have special abilities that make approaching them dangerous.

You'll also find a bit more to do outside of battle. To the original's world map, A2 adds new "area maps." These regional maps feature multiple battle locations and a town, where you can gather information and purchase items and equipment. The world map itself will, as with the original, feature enemy clans moving about. Murasawa says that we can expect some other points of interest as well.

Sub quests will have an effect on storyline

The world map will be split into areas, and areas will be further split into stages.

Fulfilling certain conditions unlocks new areas.

Monsters will have ranks and some other features not yet revealed.

The Judge and Law systems remain as a trademark of FFTA. With a Judge in your clan, your members can only be revived if you don’t break any of the clan laws. Opponents can also have a Judge on their team.

The prison is now gone. You can earn merit points for having a Judge in your clan.

No opening FMV.

Controlled by both stylus and the D-Pad.

10 new jobs if you count the different races.

Nintendo Power had a feature on this game. They said there will be five new races (sweet!) and 10 to 15 new jobs. They also said that "minigames and other diversions have been added to help prevent the player from suffering war fatigue."

www.ffta2.com is the official site, with a trailer found by clicking the icon second to the right from the bottom. Thanks Mic!

My personal impressions- I personally loved the first tactics advance, despite some of my friends saying it sucked. I played it through several times with over a hundred hours on most of my files. This game looks like it keeps all the stuff that i liked about the first one and enhances and adds to it. Thank goodness.

Screens:

 

[Doggalina]

I put hundreds of ours in to the first Tactics Advance. It is definitely my favorite game on GBA, one of my favorites of all time. This game looks like it'll improve upon it well. Samurai class? Mageknight? Sounds awesome to me. As long as there's a versus multiplayer mode, I'm good.

 

[Marthmaster92]

I put hundreds of ours in to the first Tactics Advance. It is definitely my favorite game on GBA, one of my favorites of all time. This game looks like it'll improve upon it well. Samurai class? Mageknight? Sounds awesome to me. As long as there's a versus multiplayer mode, I'm good.

i totally agree with that. i'd really rather have it wifi, but even a versus multiplayer would be nice. but wifi would be really nice too, i mean, being able to play final fantasy tactics with people across the world would be awesome!

 

[Taco Head]

I still haven't finish the first 1

(stuck at the final boss fight with gay laws)

 

[Mic_128]

As long as the gameplay has the same insane length I'm am so getting this. I just loved the fact that it took FOREVER to finish and yet you never once thought "this is taking ages when's it gonna end?"

 

[Red Exodus]

I beat all 300 missions in the first one, but I can't beat that blasted secret mission!! [curse you some freaky-named soup!!!]. I wish there was an actual versus mode in the first one, I would have owned my cousin.

This might be a game worth buying a DS for other than Advanced wars: Dual Strike.

 

[Bloshi]

I hope the next game will be challenging. My only beef with the first is that it seemed too easy. And the job-specific dispatches were annoying as well. It was still a good game overall, and I plan to get this new one.

 

[petre]

definitely going to get this, multiplayer or no. first one was amazing. although wifi would be a huge bonus...

im almost hoping its NOT as long as the first one...i dont know how many hours of my life that one sapped from me. only almost though.

 

[X-PAC]

FFTA had amazing gameplay [tons of classes = ], but the storyline was nowhere near as solid as the original FFT. I'm actually pretty sad to see they're sticking with the new, "G-rated" tactics, rather than the stories of corrupt would-be-kings and double-cross after double-cross.

 

[MuseLives]

As a big FF fan, I'm definitely going to get this when it comes out. Though I think the original FFT on the PS was better than FFTA, i still loved FFTA enough to play it through sooooooo many times. any FFT wins as long as the story length isn't too short.

 

[golden_leeroy]

Nice, I might just buy a DS for it.

FFTA, I think, is one of the best games for GBA (next to Fire Emblem)

Unlike most GBa games, it had me playing for at least two months.

 

[Fall]

I never played FFTA but I really got into FFT so i'll definetly be looking forward to this

 

[Mic_128]

Sub quests will have an effect on storyline

The world map will be split into areas, and areas will be further split into stages.

Fulfilling certain conditions unlocks new areas.

Monsters will have ranks and some other features not yet revealed.

The Judge and Law systems remain as a trademark of FFTA. With a Judge in your clan, your members can only be revived if you don’t break any of the clan laws. Opponents can also have a Judge on their team.

The prison is now gone. You can earn merit points for having a Judge in your clan.

No opening FMV.

Controlled by both stylus and the D-Pad.

10 new jobs if you count the different races.

Also, official site's up

http://www.ffta2.com/

Click on the icon second from the right at the bottom to watch the trailer.

 

[Red Exodus]

I love you Mic! That was AWESOME! Looks like you can have more characters in the battle than before, and it looks like there are smaller maps to traverse as well as the main big one.

 

[Brightside6382]

never really liked the FF:T series. To slow for my taste and all of Nippons games are just more appealing. If this one doesn't drag Ill try and give it a shot.

 

[ChRed2AKrisp]

most likely it will "drag" as you put it. I assume you don't like advance wars either? THough that can be slightly more fast paced, it's still a strategy.

I love you Mic! That was AWESOME! Looks like you can have more characters in the battle than before, and it looks like there are smaller maps to traverse as well as the main big one.

umm...yeah. as both mic quoted, and i quoted in the first post when the thread was made, there will be small regional maps within the main map, where in you can acess towns and stuff in addtion to the normal battle areas.

 

[Eternal phoenix Fire]

I still haven't finish the first 1

(stuck at the final boss fight with gay laws)

Assassin+Double Sword


Very helpful.

 

[Taco Head]

Assassin+Double Sword


Very helpful.

funny thing about that is i beat the game that day

bangaa + expert guard + strikeback

 

[<π]

I still dislike a lot of the game making features from FFTA, just too many limits. More classes, and (hopefully) goodbye to the judges might, maybe have me getting this game.... maybe.

FFT was and still is my favorite Final fantasy. But I'm sorry to say the serise as a whole is quickly moving down hill for me, I really don't have much intrest in it anymore.

 

[Zane Fleia]

This makes me happy. I threw more than one thousand hours into the last one. TOTALLY looking forward to it. ^_^

 

[Red Exodus]

umm...yeah. as both mic quoted, and i quoted in the first post when the thread was made, there will be small regional maps within the main map, where in you can acess towns and stuff in addtion to the normal battle areas.

Oops, I didn't see those lol. I re-read the the thread though. The law system sounds confusing, hopefully you can stop laws with judges like you could with Cid's Abate. Too bad he had low MP so you couldn't cast it as often as was necessary.

 

[titus]

alright this is what ive been waiting for! but is it just me or does the main male character look girly for both tactics advance games and have a ridiculous outfit on? i tihnk they should let you customize your characters appearance especially if their is wifi for the game.

 

[Doggalina]

Nintendo Power had a feature on this game. They said there will be five new races (sweet!) and 10 to 15 new jobs. They also said that "minigames and other diversions have been added to help prevent the player from suffering war fatigue."

Dangit, having all these races is going to make it hard for me to build a clan. I only have the maximum number of people that can be brought in battle to make the wandering clans an appropriate level. Bah.

 

[ChRed2AKrisp]

5 new races? That'll bring the total up to 10. That seems like way too many. I like new jobs though.

updated.

 

[Doggalina]

Here's the exact quote from the magazine:

As in the previous titles, you'll stop by the local pub to accept missions (and to subsequently pick up your reward should you emerge victorious), but not all tasks in A2 involve vanquishing opposing forces. Minigames and other diversions have been added to help the player from suffering war fatigue. The law system has been altered significantly as well; no more going to prison for breaking rules stated at the beginning of a fight. Judges no grant your party some particular advantage - disallowing enemies from attacking you with fire magic, for example - and the punishment for disobeying the law is to lose that advantage. Other stuff includes five additional races, 10 to 15 new jobs, and a significant visual upgrade. The sprinte work is vibrant and intricately detailed, and in true Final Fantasy fashion, over-the-top summon spells provide plenty of spectacular fireworks.

The article then goes on the say how the first game started slowly (snowball fight), but this game will get rolling quickly. He also says that the main character, Ruso, wants to go home (eventually), but he wants to explore.

My commentary (if anybody cares):
Since when did we have to return to the pub to collect the reward? Lame.

The law system seems less annoying. I guess we could just disregard the law if we wanted to.

If you watch the trailer, there's a character named Cid who definitely doesn't belong to any of the current races.