A tremendous improvement on a PS1 classic!
User Rating: 9.5 | Final Fantasy Tactics: Shishi Sensou PSP
Right from the opening animation, Final Fantasy Tactics: War Of Lions shows how much technology has improved over the old PS1 platform. The opening animation is done in a style reminiscent of hand-drawn images with shading lines and solid outlines that adds a great deal of depth to the animation. Another great addition to the animation sequences are voice-overs, and the voices match the characters. The gameplay and graphics are very similar to the original, allowing for the different controls of the PSP; in some ways an improvement as the analog stick takes the place of the old L2-R2 buttons. The onscreen characters in the battlescreens have the same chibi-fied look to them, but the animation of the special moves has been much improved. The chibi-fied look of the characters is a carry-over from the original Final Fantasy Tactics, and in my opinion a welcome decision, as the style is distinctive of Final Fantasy Tactics. The text dialogue has been changed to read more like something out of Shakespeare, with the nobles talking like nobles and the rebels and thieves talking in a modified generic British lower-class thief style. From what little I have seen so far, the storyline of the original has been retained from the original Final Fantasy Tactics; I am guessing that this will change the further I get into the game. It remains to be seen if Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII has been retained as a hidden character.
Overall, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of Lions is one of the best PSP games I have seen. The graphics have many of the quirks that made the original a classic, with the addition of improved animation sequences and voice-overs in the animation sequences, and the dialogue has been kicked up a notch. If you are a fan of tactical games, the Final Fantasy series, or RPGs in general, then this is a must-have game. If you have no idea what tactics games are about, or are only casually acquainted with Final Fantasy, then this game will serve as a good intro for both.
