10 Massively Underrated Japanese RPGs You Must Play
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 its a juggernaut of the genre. What people dont usually do, however, is give much thought to the Final Fantasy titles outside of the main series. Its a shame, because theyre 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 theres 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. Dont 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 thats pretty darn cool, given how long ago they were released. Tactics might not be the most famous Final Fantasy title but its definitely one of the best.
