PSP

So, I wanted some Final Fantasy Tactics, but I’m still deeply annoyed with the DS version. Where to turn? Why, to my unplayed copy of the PSP version of course! (With free art card! Woo!)

I spent a long time reading/watching the first set of tutorials, until I thought my brain might explode. Then I sat through some cutscenes that, if they didn’t use the word “verily”, sounded like they should have.

A quick fight where I only got to control my character while allies and enemies alike whirled around me, then it was on to the meat of the game.

First up, you can rotate and tilt the screen in this version. Hoorah! Unfortunately, that seems to mean the levels have been designed around it, making it very hard to see exactly what you’re doing when your, for example, moving behind a building. It’s not so much a case of being able to move the camera as having to move the camera every five seconds.

There’s also the fact that enemies and allies look the same. This can be a problem in the DS version, but you normally fight monsters so there’s none of that confusion. All the battles I’ve done so far have been human vs. human.

I’m also have a huge problem keeping track of which of my units is which. They share about three different portraits and have names I’ve not yet been able to memorise, so it’s getting confusing. Once they stop being squires and chemists hopefully it’ll be easier to tell them apart.

Complaints aside, though, I think I like it. With everyone in the party being human, they can all do the same jobs as each other, so there’s no racial limit to the job customisation, as there is the DS version. If I persevere I think I may fall in love, assuming the difficulty level isn’t too silly.

And best of all – no laws to worry about. Hooray!