Before Final Fantasy Tactics released on PlayStation, it was really one of my most wanted games ever. I love tactical RPGs and love Final Fantasy, so how could this not be good? Then I played it, and the game was a different kind of Final Fantasy than I had expected as well as a different take on tactical RPGs than I was used to. Shining Force and Vandal Hearts were and still are my favorites in the subgenre, so what Final Fantasy Tactics offered was different from them in ways I didn't like at the time. I hated the generic characters you'd recruit and it wasn't until you get quite a few hours in before you get some good named characters, so that turned me off as well. The job system was also more interesting in concept than execution, as I kind of prefer characters to have defined jobs like in Vandal Hearts. All of that combined with the slow pacing and awful translation just added up to a big letdown. It wasn't until the PSP remake, War of the Lions, that I came at the game with a different perspective and enjoyed it much more. The story is fantastic after all. That said, I still prefer the gameplay of other tactical RPGs like Shining Force II and III, Vandal Hearts, or even Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.

Final Fantasy Tactics is the rare perfect off-shoot of a series. Not only does it take and expand the class system made popular in Final Fantasy V, but it really captures the spirit of the series as a whole in every way, from visuals, to music and story. Nothing is really lost in the move to a strategy RPG. A focus on simpler graphics actually means it's aged better than its other PS1 brethren. It certainly isn't perfect, with some odd balance issues and some overpowered story characters that can break the later portions of the games. These never seem to diminish the fun of the game however, and it remains an incredibly memorable and relevant experience to this day, especially thanks to a re-release on PSP and mobile/tablets.

Final Fantasy Tactics is an odd duck. Before I first played the game it was described to me as "the best Final Fantasy game bar none." Which was funny, because it didn't feel like Final Fantasy when I first played it. It felt like Tactics Ogre, and that's pretty much what it was. I appreciate the central narrative and Shakespearean approach to dialogue, but I've always had problems with the learning curve, difficulty spikes, and progression. Even today I'm not exactly sure why it is so revered among genre enthusiasts. I've played better tactical RPGs, and really I only started to enjoy the game once I figured out how to break it. Still, I never regretted my time in Ivalice and both Ramza and Delita are among my favorite characters in the whole franchise. I'd recommend playing it, but not buying into the hype.

As a big fan of tactical RPGs, Final Fantasy Tactics really struck a chord with me. I already loved Tactics Ogre and the Shining Force series, and Final Fantasy Tactics played a lot like Tactics Ogre, so I was immediately hooked. Despite some issues with the translation, which was tough to understand at times, the more serious and political story was refreshing compared to most of the other plots of games at the time. I think the job system shines in a game like this, as you can really explore and take advantage of the nuances the varying classes offer. I did have some issues with the game in regards to the random battles, and how over-powered some of the special characters were. A few characters, in particular Orlandu, would make most other classes obsolete and ruin the challenge of the game. With that being said, Final Fantasy Tactics is still one of the top games representing the genre.

Despite being a Final Fantasy fan, there are quite a few gaps in my knowledge of the series and Final Fantasy Tactics stands as the most grievous among them. Never owning a PlayStation growing up, my first attempt at the series was the War of the Lions remake on the PSP. But I almost immediately ran into a problem that would end the attempt quickly for me, that being the remakes rather terrible optimization. Every single cast of a spell slowed the game to single-digit frames per second and load times were quite egregious. This was a deal-breaker for me, who already has trouble dealing with the slow pace of tactical RPGs as it is. The world of Ivalice is an engrossing and one I would like to revisit — XII left a mostly positive impact in my mind — but my mind has trouble overcoming the sloppy first impression I got from the game.

I used to rent this game over and over as a teenager; it wasn't until my 19th birthday that I finally got a copy of my own (and that was years before the budget line re-release, so it was a treasured gift). My other foray into TRPGs prior to this was Shining Force, which was a very different game but equally beloved. Between the original PS version, the PSP, and the iPad, I've probably put in somewhere in the 500-750 hour range. I'm not sure what it is about the game I love so much... but the battle system is somehow simplistic yet utterly addictive for me. Yet I always manage to get myself stuck on the same battle and have to grind out a special solution (curse you Elmdor and your stupid lady guards). The story's changed significantly since the original and the remake (mostly it's more understandable), but I still have a special place in my heart for the original mess. You could say I got a good feeling.

I am the staff member who will go on record saying I couldn't give a crap about Final Fantasy. Over the years the series has simply done nothing for me, been over-hyped without rhyme or reason, and just doesn't plain interest me. However, I have fond memories of Final Fantasy Tactics, and if you were to ask me what my favourite Final Fantasy is, that would be your answer. Yes, I like it even more than IV, cue the pitchfolks.

I've played my PSX copy of Tactics around seven times, to the point where the disc is well worn. Every time I played the game I tried different classes to challenge myself, and it was one of the few games where I actually enjoyed grinding so I could master jobs. This is my favourite incarnation of the Job System, and it's one where I've played the game into the ground just so I could get the Mime class. It was a game at one point that I used to think was damn hard, and now when I play it even battles that I thought were challenging are now a breeze because I've come to anticipate the next steps. Even though the story was... special in terms of translation on the PSX version, I still had the feels. I love the relationship between Ramza and Delita, I loved the politics, issues of church and state, and just the way in which the world was build. This is one of those gems that has such a wonderful and well established world and you get a larger sense of the story because of it.

Final Fantasy Tactics is the still the only Final Fantasy game I still get cravings to replay, and usually when I start it again, I finish it as well. Easily the best Final Fantasy game out there, and if you haven't played it, it's always one I recommend without question.