1997, Game of the Year

[Jumpin]

I was worrying about FF7 vs Goldeneye 007, as both were massive games. FF7 I play to this day (literally, I played through the game earlier this summer along with the other PSX FF games. GE007 was like the event of the generation…
Then I see FF Tactics came out that year, and that’s one of those games I haven’t played in a few years (I want it on Switch!). FF Tactics isn’t without its flaws—it has some of the most obnoxious level design with literal progress blockers that are easy to run into, resulting in the need to restart your whole game if you only use one save file. But I think the game strikes a better chord for me than GE007 and FF7. FF7 is one of those games that I think is brilliant a lot of the way, but after about Rocket Town (60-65% through the game). I find my interest in the story and characters takes a nosedive, and I have no interest in the Ancient Temple or City, Mideel, Ninja Town, or the “All is Lost” moment when Cloud becomes an invalid for several hours - I feel they were trying to copy the plot mechanic from Chrono Trigger and I hate those “All is Lost” plot mechanics, but at least in Chrono Trigger it doesn’t deflate the pacing of the story.. FF Tactics, while there are some frustrating moments and even some moments that demand a bit of a grind (depending on your decisions) usually the areas I find painful don’t lose my interest in the story or characters.

So, FF Tactics for me.

PS, I actually love FF Tactics, the story, plotting, characters, and music are all excellent. I also love the Ogre Battle feel of the thing. I love how the game has built in companion material (the encyclopedia) and such. The game has mainly short music tracks, but some excellent ones.

Last edited by Jumpin - on 12 October 2023