Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

The three Tactics games, if somehow combined into an amalgam of all of their best features, would easily be the greatest game of all time. Unfortunately, each one suffers from a crippling flaw that prevents it from truly reaching its potential. The big flaw here is the plot, which is so lackluster i don't even want to give it the time of day to tear down. Also, the switch in the series mechanics for MP, which you previously would start a battle with full HP/MP, you now start with full HP and zero MP and regen 10 MP per turn. What's the point of playing spellcasters if it takes three or four turns to access half of their spells, or if you have to bring a dedicated support character to give them MP? You could just bring six beefy physical fighters and Attack every turn. Additionally, Parivirs are a stupidly overpowered class that should probably be constrained by MP, but what the hell do I know. If you can overlook these flaws, the mechanics here are probably the best in the series, with the laws not being overly restrictive and permanent character death a thing of the past. The min maxing potential, the environments, the character customization (as long as you don't pick up too many of the "bonus" story characters, some of them do nothing but take up a character slot), and the strategical turn-based combat are absolutely fantastic. The post-game Brightmoon Tor dungeons offer a great challenge for anyone looking to really test their tactical prowess. All in all, this entry in the FFT series is just like the previous two: a spectacular game with a few frustrating details.

Dangerously close to ranking very high in the strategy echelon, certainly on the handheld side of things, but I just couldn't bring myself to see the end. The class-swapping framework and being able to hold onto the acquired skills of one other class at a time incentivises both strategy within battles and long-term planning of skill growth, with the right balance of depth and ease of use, even if your team can get cluttered and hard to track if you go too mad. Everything about the raw fighting is just fine, and the judge system is meant to be way better than Tactics Advance, but repetitive quests, a weird calendar system that improperly regulates events and too many difficulty spikes without the requisite teachings to the player keep it from being outstanding. It's a shame because it's still very good, and it turns the kind of bland FFXII atmosphere into something enchanting, lackluster story aside.