Final Fantasy: Building The Perfect Sequel (1 Feature From Each Game)
3. FF Tactics - A Dark Narrative
Final Fantasy Tactics is definitely a contender for the title of the most underrated game of all time. Sandwiched between the releases of Final Fantasies VII and VIII, it bears a lot of similarities to George R. R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice and Fire, depicting seven kingdoms and a host of individuals and groups scheming against each other for control.
There is no traditional ‘good’ or ‘evil’, with every entity (from the military and mercenaries to the church and nobles) having their own agenda that unravels before lead character Ramza’s eyes.
The plot is brutal and unforgiving, making darker Final Fantasies like VI look like children’s stories by comparison, terrifically written and packed with twists, deaths and shocks aplenty. Moments such as the detestable Argath’s comeuppance, a shocking murder that sets the story in motion, Ramza being forced to take up arms against his own brothers or Wiegraf’s depressing descent from rebel to nihilistic monster are up there with the series’ greatest moments.
It’s a shame that Tactics Advance and A2 were heavily dumbed down for younger audiences (necessary given their release on the GBA/DS), leaving Tactics in a class of its own. A dark story can alienate audiences given that it can elevate the age rating, but a good plot should certainly not be afraid to take on mature themes, eschewing the atypical ‘good guys beating bad guys because it’s the right thing to do’ cliché.