Future Tactics: The Uprising is an interesting hybrid. I guarantee you haven't played anything else quite like it, but you'll find that it's strangely addictive and has some familiar gameplay elements. First, let me get out of the way that you can usually tell the caliber of the individuals reviewing a game by their chosen verbage and terminology. It's become very clear to me that those who have so-called "hated" on this game in their reviews are not quite "all there" or are too young to appreciate a good game. They all want their Modern Warfare 2 and everything else doesn't quite stack up. Don't get me wrong, I too enjoy those types of games immensely. But I also like to have a broad range of fun, interesting, and different games. Mind you that isn't to say I like the severely strange Japanese titles just for the sake of being different. To give you an idea of how wonderfully different this game actually is, I am writing this review in the "next gen" era - meaning that Future Tactics is from the previous generation but is so engrained in my memory that I had to write a review for it. It is on par in many respects (and for completely different reasons) with games like Advance Wars, Culdcept, and Ico. I mention those games only because I hold them at a high regard, because not only are they fun and yet completely different from one another, they also garner that rare ability to engrain themselves in your gaming consicence. Another words, they are unforgettable and there's not another game that quite compares (though many often imitate). So now that I've sufficiently built up Future Tactics: The Uprising, let me tell you WHY I love it so much. First of all the story is pretty far out, and silly at some points. The characters are even more so "out there" - they sort of have the Saturday morning cartoon thing going on. Which in itself isn't bad, but I imagine this game would have took off to the mainstream a great deal more were the characters and graphics upgraded to an almost photo realistic, or wartime level. But simple put, the mechanics are some of the most ingenious of any turn based tactical game I have ever seen. I honestly wish someone would develop a game based on the mechanics of this game alone. It's a bit difficult to explain, but essentially this game uses a very unique targeting system that is so interesting and pivotal, you'll wonder why all the other tactical turn based games don't use it. Like I've mentioned several times now.... yes, this game is s tactical RPG-like, turn based game. So if that's not your thing... well you'd be missing out on a wonderfully made little game. When the developers implemented the targeting mechanics they pretty much thought of every little way to exploit it to the fullest. First off you'll notice that one of the characters has a sniper like view that you can use on his turn. This is where it gets interesting. First, you site in on your enemy, then a vertical line scrolls repeatedly from left to right through your reticle. Once you have this line where you want, you press the "A" button and the line stays fixed. Immediately following, a horizontal line goes from top to bottom repeatedly as well. Once you hit the "A" button again, the horizontal line will stay fixed. Where these two lines intersect is where your character will shoot. With this simple concept (mind you this is for one character, the other characters have other and just as innovative attacks) there are all sorts of tactics you can use. In conjunction with completely destructible environments, you have one very clever combat system that is frankly peerless. It's a sad shame that this game just wasn't that well known, advertised, or purchased. But their loss can be your gain. Some of the amazing tactical strategies include: blowing out dirt from under a giant boulder so that it rolls over and inst-kills an enem(ies). Shooting an explosive barrel and launching an enemy off of a cliff, or into a deep pool (causing them to drown and instant death). As if this wasn't enough, and mind you the strategic possibilities are limitless on how you approach a level, the story actually does take a heart wrenching turn and really makes you feel as if you are on a strange earth-like planet. Just when you get to a point where you are getting really good with your characters, the game throws a couple of new ones for you to control each with their own really cool tactics. For example one lady actually has a gun that you shoot (like mentioned earlier with the crosshairs), but the gun can do damage to whatever you're aiming at, or heal whatever you're aiming at (your choice). Obviously the implications are she's a medic with a healing gun which is quite balanced with the rest. There's a robot character who flies and has a sniper rifle type of weapon that essentially just ups the ante when it comes to distant enemies. There's a guy who fires a cannon into the air and deals a great deal of damage wherever the bomb lands, dealing damage to surrounding structures, etc as well. The game really is a classic gem, and is a must own for any fan of the genre or anyone slightly intereested in shooters. Basically this is a Final Fantasy Tactics type of game mixed with a Shooter. It's really quite a clever mix. I highly recommend you get the Xbox version because it will also play on an Xbox360! Get this game - you won't regret it!
Other Helpful Reviews for Future Tactics: The Uprising
Future Tactics is a game I really never planned on buying. I spotted it for $4 at EB Games, so I figured it'd be worth a shot. It's a good game for what it is, but I'm not sure the gameplay would be much fun when playing... Read Full Review
1. The future Earth is infested with green, nasty and annoying creatures. You and your team, which gets bigger as time passes, are against all of these “things”. The story introduces new players as the player progresses ... Read Full Review
