Final Fantasy Tactics PSP Released
By Mad Mage • Oct 5th, 2007 • Category: Playstation Portable, Video Games
…in Europe at least. Americans will have to wait another week. here are my impressions of the European version which will likely be identical.
The translation is completely re-done. And done properly this time. No more typos, and the dialog seems written by -well, someone who knows how to write. Many class, skill, and character names have been changed to ones more suitable. And more interestingly, the entire style of the dialog has been changed to something resembling old English. Don’t be put off; it’s nothing like Shakespeare. There aren’t any “Thou arts” or anything. But the way characters speak is poetic, and eloquent, and a few old fashioned words are used. While I find it odd considering I’m so used to the characters speaking how they did in the PS1 version, I can not deny that this version is much better, and it breaths new life back into the incredible story of FFT. Also, you can tell what the heck is going on in the plot since the new translator wasn’t on drugs.
There is slowdown. Many people said that the slowdown was fixed for the English version. I have to wonder if this was propaganda, because I have abundantly apparent slowdown on my version. Indeed, when you perform graphics-heavy move like Gafgarion’s Life Drain, the sound plays ahead of the skill, and you hear the sword strike before the graphics for the giant sword even appears. This is unpleasant but hardly game-killing. And even with the slowdown (which is only on big special effects to my knowledge), the game pace is still fast for an SRPG. Bottom line: it’s a shame, but don’t let it dissuade you from getting the game.
I can’t comment on the new characters or classes ’cause I don’t have ‘em. Likewise, I haven’t tried out the new multiplayer modes (and might not get to since I hear Europe versions aren’t compatible with U.S.). Regardless, even without these enhancements, FFT is still the greatest Tactical RPG ever and you should go out and get it even if it means selling blood. I don’t even care whose blood.
Mad Mage Mad Mage is the be-all end-all source for Japanese video game knowledge. If he doesn't know about it, it didn't happen.
Email this author | All posts by Mad Mage
Haha im gonna go kill a drifter and get this the day it comes out =D.
Anything good about the new classes?
No. There’s only two new ones. Dark Knight and Onion Knight. The Dark Night looks powerful (different from Gaffgarion’s class), but you need to max out/ get level 8 on a bunch of classes to unlock it. The Onion Knight looks dumb and I don’t think it has any new skills but I haven’t got either yet so I don’t know for sure.
Sad tidings, i wish they would have been a bit more creative making new classes.
Yeah, but so far I’m really impressed with what they have added. There are new scenes and new battles that take place during the story!
There is lag on the American version, every skill and every attack that isnt a normal melee attack (even arrows so far as ive noticed lag a bit…) lag a little bit. The sound plays with the timing it should be but the attack slows down =[.
Its standable and the lovely cinematics make up for it, … i just wish they hadnt released it with such a big problem…in the US at least heh.
It’s the same in the Japanese and European versions. Really lazy on Square’s part if you ask me. I hear that turning up the CPU speed will fix it some but I haven’t tried myself.
I’m pretty used to the lag. It really isn’t that bad except for spells that repeat the animation when targeting multiple characters,
Yea those are so far the worst for me to.
Like the spell slow goes SO slowwwwwww……………… (and on and on forever…)
Its a lot of fun still though =D. I hope they dont ever do this to such a wonderful game again (dont they test these things…?)