Back in the rabid hysteria that followed the colossal public reception of Final Fantasy VII the world over, gamers were eagerly clamouring for their next Final Fantasy fix.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of The Lions Catering for both ninja and pirate lovers alike!

PAL gamers went crazy then, when the next Final Fantasy title, Final Fantasy Tactics, was only to see release in NTSC territories. Now ten years on, that same title is, at last, set to be released in Australia. The first title to be released in a new sub-series called the Ivalice Alliance, set within the same location featured in Final Fantasy XII, there could be no more perfect time for this title to finally reach our shores.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Final Fantasy Tactics plays differently to the better-known instalments in the Final Fantasy series. As the name suggests, Tactics purely focuses on tactical turn based conflict. You develop a party of characters, from a range of job classes, and monsters, including the omnipresent Chocobo, with which to do battle in grid based arenas. Each character takes a turn to move and also attack or perform an action if they wish. Once all your enemies are defeated, you progress on to the next location. All exploration is entirely removed in favour of a stage selection type map screen, with the story told through a series of cut scenes and full motion video.

The stage-based nature of the game is perfectly suited for gaming on the go, with battles themselves taking roughly five to ten minutes each. Although you may be travelling between stages via the world map, it does not mean the game is entirely structured. Venturing from one destination to the next, you are not protected from encountering random battles on the way.

The story is of the usual stellar standard from Square Enix, telling a story of betrayal, intrigue and manipulation right from the get go. The raging war between the kingdoms of Ivalice and neighbouring Ordalia has finally ceased, but is met by the death of the King of Ivalice, leaving his infant son, his only heir. The kingdom is split into two factions when a regent is needed to rule in place of the young prince, leading to the focal Lion War.

Unchanged from the original release with the exception of 16:9 ratio, graphics are a return to traditional 2D sprites set within simple 3D isometric arenas, which is love/hate whichever way you look at it. They are simple, instantly recognisable and prevent any confusion between friend and foe. On the other hand, the graphics hardly push the limits of the PSP and yet the game is still prone to slow down whenever using an item, casting a spell or committing an action beyond a basic attack. While this is purely visual and does not affect the gameplay, it is still frustrating and seemingly unnecessary. Still, while character sprites are not the most detailed I have seen, but are nice and simple, a return to the games of old.

The War of The Lions is a return to traditional 2D sprites set within simple 3D isometric arenas

One area of visuals in which the game improves upon the original release is the inclusion of beautiful cel-shaded cut scenes to tell the story this time around. Cel-shading has been one of the most over used effects in the last decade, but The War of The Lions does it gorgeously, producing a classic storybook appearance that works wonderfully. These cut scenes are outstanding in all areas, complimented by fantastic voice work that makes me wish all the dialogue were audio and not text based.

Another fantastic addition over the original is the inclusion of wireless multiplayer, allowing you and a friend to go head to head. This is a much welcome inclusion that fans of the genre will appreciate, allowing you to earn new levels and equipment that transcend into the single player game. Although it works well, it's just unfortunate that multiplayer is only available over Ad-Hoc and does not offer support for online Infrastructure play. Removing any concerns for lag due to the turn-based combat, it's a shame that Square Enix chose to not include online play.

If you were one of the rabid fan boys to import the title the first time around, you will also appreciate the addition of two new job classes, Onion Knight and Dark Knight, with which to assign your characters and also newly implemented guest cameos by characters from Final Fantasy XII in the newly revamped storyline.

While some changes have been made for the better, other areas are unchanged and in need of improvement.

There are only actually a few buttons you need to execute all your actions; the rest is entirely dedicated to camera. You have two buttons and the entire analogue nub dedicated to camera, but not once does it ever feel perfect. The analogue stick rotates the camera to give you four angles of the battlefield. The L and R buttons allow you to zoom in and out, as well as elevate and lower your point of view. There are so many options, but they all feel restricted in nature. You constantly find yourself having to contort the camera to get a clear view of the battlefield and plan your attack. Were the camera freely controllable, it would have helped to eliminate any problems, but such is a restriction understandably brought about by the limitations of sprite-based character models. Alternatively, the ability to switch to a simple top down map or turn all three-dimensional features of the map transparent would have otherwise helped.



Combat screens from within The War of the Lions

Whilst turn based gaming seems so suitable for a handheld on the surface, its odd then that game doesn't feature a pause button. I often found myself mid battle, only to near my bus stop and unable to just pause the game whilst I got off. You can halt the game between turns, but an instant pause option would have been much appreciated so you don't have to sacrifice your gaming to make it to work on time. A small gripe, but one I experienced often none the less.

After more than a decade, it's great to see this fantastic title finally get the PAL release it always deserved. It may be dated, but it is still on of the best tactical games out there. You will really need to be an RPG fan to get the most out this game, but that is to be expected.

If you are a hardened Final Fantasy fan then you've no doubt been eagerly awaiting the release of The War of The Lions with open arms.