#5


So it’s Christmas 2003. Junior high-aged Fynn has his cousin over. He has only two games on his GBA. He can’t wait until Santa brings him a new game (yes, I believed in Santa in junior high, shut up ). And there it is, a little square box, a water-color image of children on some dramatic background. Little did I know how important this game would become to me. I give you my first Matsuno game, and the highest-ranked FF on the list…

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS ADVANCE




Everything starts like a typical escapist fantasy. A young boy (just like me!) doesn’t fit in at school (*gasp) me again!) and just wishes he could be swept away into a magical world. And he is! How cool is that? Very cool.


Witch one do you smurfing mean? There's like a bajillion of those.

Until things aren’t that cool. Well, actually, apart from the laws getting really strict, there’s nothing wrong with fantasy Ivalice on its own. The only thing Marche notices is missing is… reality. He gets to fulfill his fantasy of being a powerful warrior in a clan that has tons of adventures, his brother can walk, and his friends are happy (heck, probably everyone in Ivalice is happy), but Marche sees what the others don’t want to see. This world is not real, never can be, and any happiness that they may experience in Ivalice is simply a way of escaping their own problems. Marche goes against his friends in an effort to show them that they must face their problems like adults – head-on, no compromises. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance remains one of the most mature FF games to date, with a very in-depth look at escapism and a coming-of-age story that promotes genuine maturity and thoughtfulness. This is one of those games that have thoroughly influenced the way I look at life, and I am forever thankful for it.


Sometimes, you just need to learn to accept yourself to let go of a fantasy.

So some people will tell me the gameplay is simply a watered-down version of FFT, to which I have to call bulltrout. Yes, there are some simplifications regarding stats and how armor works, but I think it’s all for the better, as FFT did have some overly complex elements that bogged the game down. Now, FFTA implements races on top of classes, that not only serve to make the game world seem more diverse and, well, alive despite being fake in canon, but makes the characters more unique, even if you argue that classes being exclusive to specific races is limiting. I also find that the FFIX-esque ability learning system is a real plus, though I wish it was more obvious how to get specific weapons and skills.


Look at all those chickens.

Hitoshi Sakimoto, as usual, offers us a sweeping score that is a tad more playful and lighthearted than what we got in FFT and FFXII, but there’s still a ton of epic music to keep the engagements fun and the really dramatic story segments all the more memorable.


I seriously, highly recommend this game to anyone. This game is anything but kiddy, while still being entirely kid-friendly. I think the aesop is a perfect one for kids and I am surprised so many people missed the point in all this. Although I still think it’s a sign of a good story that it makes people debate its meaning so passionately. Whether you agree with the message or no, the story is really well-paced and impeccably written, and if you are an FF fan (especially and Ivalice fan), you really owe it to yourself to play this game. To me, this is the best FF of all time.