Final Fantasy Tactics + Square Preview - PlayStation PS1 NTSC-J JAPAN w Manual

Final Fantasy Tactics is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998. The game combines thematic elements of the Final Fantasy video game series with a game engine and battle system unlike those previously seen in the franchise. In contrast to other 32-bit era Final Fantasy titles, Final Fantasy Tactics uses a 3D, isometric, rotatable playing field, with bitmap sprite characters.

Final Fantasy Tactics is set in a fictional medieval-inspired kingdom called Ivalice. The game's story follows Ramza Beoulve, a highborn cadet who finds himself thrust into the middle of an intricate military conflict known as The Lion War, where two opposing noble factions are coveting the throne of the kingdom. As the story progresses, Ramza and his allies discover a sinister plot behind the war.

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS’ strategic battle system is a twist on the turn-based system of the other FINAL FANTASY titles. You begin as a noble squire named Ramza in a time of confusion and war in the land of Ivalice. Your best friend, a commoner named Delita, is caught in the middle of the struggle between nobles and commoners, and this affects you; so begins your long quest for the truth.

Much of the story in TACTICS is told on the battlefield or as a direct result of battles, which take place on a three-dimensional grid that can be rotated 360 degrees. You select your battle party, put them on the field, and determine their every move. Between battles, you can explore towns and forests on the world map, acquire new items, and undertake side quests. TACTICS has plenty of nostalgia for FINAL FANTASY veterans, as well as a new play style to keep newcomers interested.

Features:

* 19 character classes with 400 abilities

* 360 degrees of 3D rendered graphics

* Variety of characters and options

* You'll follow the adventure of young Ramza as he leads his people across betrayals, backstabbing and petty intrigues that threaten to swallow his world

* Recruit from dozens of unique characters with abilities that will help Ramza on his quest

* Turn-based combat follow the same rules as the classic Final Fantasy VII

* You've also got access to the same spells and some of the same weapons as you play

* Thrill to the adventures that set the stage for the events in Final Fantasy VII!

STORY:

The story takes place in the fictional kingdom of Ivalice, located in a peninsula surrounded by sea on the north, west and south, with a headland south of the landmass. Its geography features ranging landscapes, from plains to mountains ranges to deserts and forests. It is heavily populated by human beings, although intelligent monsters can be found living in less populated areas. Magic is predominant in the land, although ruins and artifacts indicated that past populace had relied on machinery, such as airships and robots.

Ivalice is a kingdom of seven territories, united under a monarch.Ivalice's neighbors are the kingdom of Ordalia in the east and Romanda, a military nation to the north. While the three nations share common royal bloodlines, major wars have taken place between them. An influential religious institution known as the Murond Glabados Church heads the dominant faith, centering around a religious figure known as Saint Ajora.

The story takes place after Ivalice ended its war with the two nations in what is known as the Fifty Years War, and is facing economic problems and political strife. Adding to its problems is the recent death of the king, whose heir is only an infant. A regent is needed to rule in place of the prince, and the kingdom is split between Prince Goltana, represented by the Black Lion, and Prince Larg, symbolized by the White Lion. The conflict leads to what is known in the game as the Lion War. Behind this backdrop is a revelation by the game's fictional historian Alazlam J. Durai, who seeks to reveal the story of an unknown character whose role in the Lion War was major but was covered up by the kingdom's church. The setting is based around this character, named by default as Ramza, and revolves around his early life and the future conflicts he faced while the events that changed the kingdom unfold.

CHARACTERS:

- RAMZA:

Ramza Beoulve is the main character of the game, introduced by the narrator Arazlam as a heretic. In the game's prologue, Ramza serves as a mercenary charged with protecting Princess Ovelia, and witnesses her abduction by his long-lost friend Delita. The first chapter of the game, set a year before the prologue, explains that Ramza, son of the late war hero Barbaneth Beoulve, discovered the questionable motives behind the actions of his older half-brothers, Dycedarg and Zalbaag. When those actions lead to the death of Delita's sister Tietra - and apparently to Delita's as well - Ramza rejects the Beoulve name, assuming his mother's surname of "Lugria" and joining Gaffgarion's company of mercenaries. In the second chapter, Ramza rescues Ovelia and attempts to protect her from new assailants while trying to discover Delita's motives.

- DELITA:

Delita Hyral is a major, occasionally-playable character of the game who is remembered in the backstory of the game as a commoner turned both hero of the War of the Lions and "Savior King" of Ivalice. However, the story as narrated by Arazlam is aimed at revealing Delita's true role in the war, and begins with Delita kidnapping Princess Ovelia in the prologue. The first chapter of the game portrays the younger Delita as Ramza's commoner friend, and explains the origins of his will to rise beyond his status, beginning with the death of his sister in the conflict between the Corpse Brigade and the Beoulves. In the subsequent chapters, it is revealed that Delita is manipulating both sides of the war as well as the Church and Ramza so that he could reduce them to powerlessness and create a political vacuum for himself to fill. He eventually succeeds, although unaware of Ramza and the Lucavi's activities, and marries Princess Ovelia to ascend to the throne of Ivalice.

Includes a "Square's Preview 2" demo disc.

  Manufacturer's description:

Lead epic battles in a new Final Fantasy world.

Betrayal and darker dealings await in Square Soft's game of war.

Fight hundreds of battles across dangerous 3D terrain as an ancient blood feud awakens a deadlier foe.

* Command knights, mages, ninjas and more

* Based on Final Fantasy characters and magic

* 19 character classes, 400 abilities

* Deep customization options

* In-game interactive manual

* Only on PlayStation.

"...Final Fantasy Tactics is a masterpiece."

-- Video Game Spot