Ivalice was a world-first conceived whenFinal Fantasy Tacticsreleased in 1998 on thePS1in North America. It was also the first time the series spun into the strategy RPG genre. From there many more games were introduced into the Ivalice canon and not all of them exclusive toFinal Fantasyas a brand.
RELATED:Final Fantasy: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Ivalice Alliance Games
For example, whenVagrant Storylaunched in 2000 on the PS1, it was its own original IP. AfterFinal Fantasy XIIcame out on thePS2,Square Enixretconned Vagrant Story into the canon for whatever reason. Besides those three games, there are others to learn about. One final caveat involvesFinal Fantasy XIVwhich doesn’t take place in Ivalice but features stuff from its games.
6Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wingswas aDSsequel toFinal Fantasy XIIand released just a year later. It stars Vaan and Penelo as they take on the roles of sky pirates like Balthier and Fran, who also make appearances in this game.
Mechanically,Revenant Wingsis very different from its predecessor as it is an RTS rather than a more MMO-like RPG. Unless one counts the Fort Condor mini-game inFinal Fantasy VII, this is the only RTSin the series. That’s a shame because it actually works well in terms of the gameplay. However, the DS’s small screen limits the view, hindering the battles quite a bit.
5Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advancehad a mixed debut on the GBA. As the sequel toFinal Fantasy Tactics,it had a lot to live up to and some weren’t feeling the more childlike vibe of the world as opposed to the grim nature of the original. There were also complaints about the Judge system that limited movements between battles.
RELATED:Final Fantasy: 5 Games That Deserve The Remake Treatment (& 5 That Should Never Be Touched)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advancewas not what fans expected but beyond those complaints, the game delivers the core gameplay from the PS1 classic. Consequently, it is still fun to play. There are Jobs and even races that help flesh out the world.
4Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire Of The Rift
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Riftis the sequel toFinal Fantasy Tactics Advancebut for the DS. It is also currently the last game in this tactical RPG series, much to the chagrin of fans. While also more kid-friendly in nature than the original title, the sequel improves one of the core complaints about the GBA game.
The Judge system is completely relaxed. This allows players to focus on combat instead of looking over their shoulder in fear of using the wrong move and literally going to jail. Overall, it’s just a more complete game.
3Vagrant Story
Vagrant Storywas initially not part of the Ivalice world. It did its own thing and was not connected toFinal Fantasyin any way. After the release ofFinal Fantasy XIIin 2006,Vagrant Storywas retconned into canon to help build Ivalice’s brand. It may not make sense but that is Square Enix’s stance as of now.
Rather thanFinal Fantasy,Vagrant Storyresemblesanother Square RPGon the PS1,Parasite Eve. Both games use spherical grids to show the character’s attack range. These are the only two games to use this system.
2Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII, likeFinal Fantasy Tactics Advance, was, and still is, a controversial release for some fans. After the success ofFinal Fantasy X, fans were ready for morefrom the seriesin this gameplay style on the PS2. The game after that wasFinal Fantasy XI, an MMO and thus seen as a weird step.
RELATED:5 Things We Miss From Early Final Fantasy Games (& 5 We Don’t)
Fans expectedFinal Fantasy XIIto go back to basics but the game instead used a very similar battle system to the MMO. If one thought about it, this makes sense since Ivalice all began withFinal Fantasy Tactics,a strategy RPG. Using this MMO style of combat system alongside the Gambit System made for a more tactical and engaging real-time experience. When the remaster came out, the tune seemed to change in this game’s favor and even the naysayers seemed to appreciate whatFinal Fantasy XIIdid for the series back then and now.
1Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tacticshad to be number one. Even though it can be hard to play on modern consoles due to it not getting any attention from Square Enix, the game remains atreasure on PS1. The mature story, difficulty, expansive world that evolved over time, and the Job system made it an instant classic.
As far as its legacy goes,Final Fantasy Tacticsgot aPSPport with some enhancements but some downgrades as well. It’s also on mobile devices. Ramza did make it toDissidia Final Fantasy NTas a playable character, which is a nice nod to this game. However, it’s not the same as getting a remaster or a sequel though. Ivalice needs a new champion.
NEXT:8 Things You Need To Know About Square Enix’s SaGa Franchise
