Games — Consumed

2003 · Square Enix

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance refines the tactical RPG formula established by its PlayStation predecessor while making significant concessions for portable play. The core game loop revolves around accepting dispatch missions, positioning units on isometric grid maps, and executing turn-based combat where terrain elevation, unit facing, and action timing create layers of strategic depth. The job system allows characters to equip abilities learned from weapons and armor, enabling substantial build customization across races—humans, bangaa, nu mou, moogles, and viera—each with distinct class trees.

The law system adds procedural variation to encounters by randomly prohibiting certain actions or elements each battle, forcing players to adapt their tactics or face penalties. While controversial among fans of the original, this system creates emergent problem-solving scenarios that prevent rote optimization. The mission structure suits handheld play sessions, and the ability progression loop—earning AP to master abilities, then mixing and matching across jobs—provides hundreds of hours of depth.

The game's pixel art and sprite work remain exemplary, with detailed character animations and readable battlefield layouts. The Ivalice setting, while lighter in tone than Final Fantasy Tactics, establishes the world-building that would inform Final Fantasy XII. FFTA demonstrates how tactical depth and progression systems can be adapted for portable hardware without sacrificing mechanical complexity, making it a landmark title for strategy RPGs on handhelds.