At present, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is available across North American shores for the Nintendo DS handheld system.

The game itself has had mixed reviews, much like the predecessor before it. Those who played and enjoyed the GBA spinoff of the tactics RTS game will most likeley enjoy A2 aswell, where as those who didn't like it may not nessesarily have changed feelings for this title.

Apparently, there remains 'the Judge' figure, who patrols the field giving out cards and dealing punishment and pain to the player stupid enough to break his laws. However, the rules seem less harsh this time around, and as an added bonus for those civil servants with the guile to follow the laws in battle, they will be given Clan Privilage points which can ammount to sudden boosts in stats or ability potency. Those who violate the law are unable to be revived when KO'd and are assumed to either die or be jailed.

Equipment appears to be the key to aquiring and mastering abilities which can be frustrating for those who wish to use a particular class but don't have the appropriate gear for them, often leading to the player's inventory deciding it's own strategy for fielding units.

Many Classes will be available to the player but Tactics Advance's recurring multi race gambit restricts certain jobs to certain races. In Tactics A2 there are a total of six playable races including the two new additions of the Seeq and Gria races (Gria's are like the winged race from RW but with imp like features instead) New jobs are to be unlockable as the player completes certain quests.

The game also sports a total of over 400 quests with each quest taking long ammounts of time (atleast 45 minutes to an hour) of gaming to complete. The story itself has over 75 hours of gameplay atleast to complete but most likely the available side quests are almost nessecary boons to beat the story based battles as there are no more randomly generated fights. these off topic quests detract greatly from the main storyline and halts Luso from his journey home.

A2 probably gives the player his/her most Ivalicy experiance out of all the Ivalice Alliance games, on the plus side. The title sports a musical score with high quality tracks remeniscent to XII track listing, with the addition of a few orinal pieces which contain the same style. Also some secret characters will be available which derive from the FF XII story arc aswell as the abilty to summon the games zodiac based scions (through the use of special equipment ofcourse)

With it's steep learning curve and patience required devotion, the inhanced flashy attacks and graphic facelift of it's gba counterpart may not be the game for some, but for those willing to take the plunge it should keep you busy for the entire summer, or in Lady Lamonts case, a weekend :P

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift | SQUARE ENIX

I liked the sense of their being a jail you get sent to if you get a red card. I mean, it made you more cautious, but then going to get them out of jail was kinda cool. The only think I didn't like was getting them out of jail and you have to equip everything to them again.

I LOVE the replay value of the first one, it went for ever and then some, and it looks like this one will take 300 hours + to finish everything.

I don't have any money, and I want this game, but then again, I want a lot of things I can't afford.

well, it sure beats being crystalised after three turns in the original tactics

Very funny Garland, that explains why my ears were burning all day and my sudden fear of a mysterious presence.

But I will be buying it, the original Tactics didn't last me long and this does sound better and fairer to me so I will certainly go and get it once I have some Gil on me.

Any Idea when its coming to the UK? Simply dieing to play it.

Did I spell dieing wrong? Because i honestly cant think of an other way to spell it x(

Originally Posted by TheLastIzzy Any Idea when its coming to the UK? Simply dieing to play it. Did I spell dieing wrong? Because i honestly cant think of an other way to spell it x(

It is correctly as: dying not "dieing".

And you can import it from America (or Japan for that matter) for the Nintendo DS/DS Lite system as the cartridges have no Region Codes on them so every cartridge works for every different region and/or country's systems.

So that cuts out the over-six-month wait.