Final Fantasy Tactics Advance: Grimoir of the Rift

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Written by Filippo Gabrielli

At the end of the school year Luso, a rowdy boy lacking in discipline, is sent to the office of professor Randall. That’s where an old book, bound in silver, catches his attention. In his hands is a grimoire, a magical book, which turns out to be incomplete and half blank.

As a prank Luso writes his name on the book, and is sucked into the magical world of Ivalice, where monsters and clans vie for supremacy.

Final Fantasy Tactics: Grimoir of the Rift (or FFTA2) is an isometric tactical JGDR, developed by Square Enix in 2007 for the Nintendo DS. Like other Tactics titles, it’s set in the world of Ivalice, which it shares with Final Fantasy 12.

FFTA2 is a sequel to GBA’s Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, of which it reproduces scenarios and the general game mechanics. Even the plot, the protagonist having to return to his home dimension, is fairly similar. The true novelty lies in the new classes that can be recruited, and in the expanded choice of Jobs. Two new races are available: the fully new Gria, demonic-looking women; and the Seeq, corpulent one-horned giants already met in Final Fantasy 12. We will also be assisted by secondary characters with new Jobs, such as Vaan (Sky Pirate) and Penelo (Dancer) from Final Fantasy 12; or Montblanc from FFTA.

The gameplay is well-tested and works, yet FFTA2 does not offer enough novelty for it to rise above a well-done rehash of FFTA. This title actually seems a bit of a step back, mostly due to the graphics and the very high difficulty compared to FFTA.