10 Ambitious Gameplay Ideas That Broke Everything

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is a generally terrific entry into the hit RPG franchise - or would be, were it not for the bold swing and a miss of introducing a Laws mechanic.

Laws are a series of rules which govern the game's battles, prohibiting the use of certain weapons, spells, items, and so on, with law-breakers being subject to one of several punishments, such as losing money, having offending items confiscated, being thrown in jail, and even having player stats permanently reduced. Yup.

It's certainly a creative and interesting feature, yet one which, in its attempt to encourage diverse combat tactics, feels obnoxiously restrictive, especially if you don't have an especially varied party.

Combat now becomes a tedious list-checking exercise, and there are times in the game where not breaking a law is nigh-on impossible.

Ultimately, do Laws make the game more fun? Absolutely not, and the fan outcry was vocal enough that Square Enix gave the system a much-needed overhaul for sequel Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, with punishments proving decidedly less severe.