10 Massively Underrated Japanese RPGs You Must Play

By Matty Coxhill /

7. Final Fantasy Tactics

Normally, when people think of JRPGs, Final Fantasy is the series that immediately springs to mind. And with good reason, because it€™s a juggernaut of the genre. What people don€™t usually do, however, is give much thought to the Final Fantasy titles outside of the main series. It€™s a shame, because they€™re missing out on some real gems, like the Tactics series. The Tactics games feel more like a Final Fantasy board game more than anything else €“ and more specifically, chess. Combat takes place in environments divided into squares, so there€™s a lot of strategy involved in moving your characters around and trying to get into firing range of enemies without being in danger of a lethal counterattack. One class can even place traps around the environment, so a lot of battles require figuring out how to make use of the terrain. Don€™t get too comfortable though, because the cruel in-game Judges can €“ and will €“ flick the switch from easy to hard mode with a snap of the fingers. Speaking of classes, the series is a real flashback to the job system in Final Fantasy games of old. There are a bunch of different races available for recruitment, each of which can take on a multitude of different jobs. The games effectively let you customise your entire party to suit your playstyle, rather than having predefined characters in predefined roles €“ and that€™s pretty darn cool, given how long ago they were released. Tactics might not be the most famous Final Fantasy title €“ but it€™s definitely one of the best.