Posted on: July 2, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Individuals that have finished up Final Fantasty Tactics Advance, along with those that have played other games in the Ivalice Alliance series (Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, and Final Fantasy XII), will be pleased to know that Grimoire of the Rift both adds to the story and works in the universe that was created with these prior games. As for the game itself, it really is an open-ended game experience. This means that players can pick their race to be the Bangaas, Humes, Moogles, Nu Mou and Vieras from the first FFT Advance game, or they can choose a new race in the Gria or a previously-unplayable race in the Seeq, who made their debut in the course of Final Fantasy XII storyline.

Individuals start off the game in control of Luso Clemens, a child that is transported into Ivalice after reading and writing in an old book. Put into service as a member of Clan Gully, Luso turns into a soldier and moves through Ivalice with the explicit goal of trying to find eir way home, to ensure that ey aunt can then stop worrying about eir. Of course, there are a number of side-stories and quests that have to be finished to complete that goal, but players will have a fun time defeating baddies, figuring out riddles and puzzles, and ensuring that they are supremely proficient in one of the game’s 56 different jobs. An additional note about the jobs: advancement is a job is dependent on battling in job-specific armor, weapons, and other items.

Players will gain ability points in their position with each subsequent battle, until that point when their job is mastered, and they do not need to use any job-specific material to be allowed to use that specific ability. The Final Fantasy Tactics line has been through three different game systems (the Playstation 1, Game Boy Advance, and now the Nintendo DS), and with each subsequent game, the amount of things that individuals can do has exponentially increased. The general game play is similar throughout – individuals are placed on a rail, moving through specific scenarios – but these added features ensure that players will be focused on the game for upwards of 30 or 40 hours. If you are a fan of any of the games in the Final Fantasy line, give Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of The Rift a spin; the story, game play, and haunting music present will ensure that the game does not leave your DS any time soon.

Rating: 8.7/10

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of The Rift (DS) / 2008 Square Enix / http://www.square-enix.com

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