Final Fantasy Tactics was one of the first big spinoffs to the Final Fantasy series. It was certainly the first tactical RPG that gave players an assortment of characters to level up with Jobs on grid-based maps. It was also one of the darker games in the series, as it touched on religion and the concept of corruption within warring kingdoms.

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Fans of Final Fantasy Tactics probably sought out Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, which are the only two sequels in the Tactics series. There are other games in the series like the three Final Fantasy Tactics entries that aren’t directly tactical RPGs though. Let’s go through some of the better examples.

6

Final Fantasy 5

Save The Crystals, Level Up Jobs

Released

December 6, 1992

ESRB

T For Teen due to Mild Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity

Final Fantasy 3 is the first game in the series that allowed players to change Jobs as they liked. Final Fantasy 5 improved the Job formula with its four main heroes. Every time players rescue a new Crystal, new Jobs are unlocked, from magically gifted mages to melee-focused warriors.

Crafting the right combos and swapping skills around led to some interesting tactics in this classic turn-based RPG. The story is rather tame and a bit happy-go-lucky thanks to the crew starring in it. Still, Final Fantasy Tactics fans will enjoy it for the Job system alone. For those who still have a Game Boy Advance lying around, the GBA version of Final Fantasy 5 is the one to check out.

5

Final Fantasy 7

A Mature New Look For The Series

Released

January 31, 1997

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes

Final Fantasy 7 was a game-changer in many ways for the series. It was the first entry on a non-Nintendo piece of hardware (the PS1), the first to feature CG cutscenes, and the first to be this mature, tackling themes of death, love, humanity, rebirth, and so on, with Cloud being a key figure in all of this. It was still only rated T for Teen, but the point remains clear.

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It made RPG fans out of a new generation of gamers and one of the big reasons why its legacy has persisted all these years. It’s led to two remakes so far, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, with the third and final entry in the Remake trilogy out sometime soon. While both of those games are great and equally dark, there’s no escaping the allure of the original Final Fantasy 7, blemishes and all.

4

Final Fantasy 12

Another Tale In The Ivalice Universe

Released

October 31, 2006

ESRB

T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes

Final Fantasy 12 fits right in with Final Fantasy Tactics, as it takes place in the same universe: Ivalice. Final Fantasy 12 is set in a more prosperous era, which is alluded to in lost texts in Final Fantasy Tactics. In this way, FF12 could be seen as a prequel, even though there’s not much connection beyond the world of Ivalice.

The gameplay is also quite different in that Final Fantasy 12 resembles an MMO with real-time combat which can be paused mid-battle to assign commands. Final Fantasy 12: Revenant Wings, the DS sequel, is actually closer in scope to Final Fantasy Tactics as it is an RTS. Both games are worth perusing for those wishing to get more acquainted with the Ivalice universe.

3

Final Fantasy 16

The Latest Entry Is Also Quite Dark

Systems

Released

June 22, 2023

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence

Final Fantasy 16 is the latest main entry in the series, and it decidedly tried to go after the Game of Thrones demographic, complete with terrible families and hands constantly throttling for the throne. The villains in Final Fantasy Tactics were all trying to possess Zodiac Stones, which hold powerful supernatural beings in them. Well, in Final Fantasy 16, every nation holds a Summon, or Eikon, as their sort of guardian.

More so than most mainline entries, even Final Fantasy 12 within Ivalice, Final Fantasy 16has a lot in common thematically with Final Fantasy Tactics beyond just supernatural beings. The gameplay is the biggest differentiating factor though, as there is no Job system and the main character, Clive, fights in real-time with action-based combat. Beyond that, though, it’s a home run recommendation.

2

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

School Cadets Playing War

Systems

Released

March 17, 2015

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Suggestive Themes, Drug Reference, Violence

Final Fantasy Type-0 began as a tie-in to Final Fantasy 13 before becoming its own thing. It was first released on the PSP exclusively in Japan, and then an HD remaster was developed for other territories on consoles like the PS4. This spinoff stars an elite group of cadets led by Ace, set in a military school.

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While Ace was the lead, players could pick and choose characters to control in battle from their large class, each of whom wields a different weapon, from twin revolvers to a scythe. The combat was action-based and missions were fairly straight-forward. There were bigger battles that resembled RTS engagements to tie things further back to Final Fantasy Tactics, but they were few and far between.

1

Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

Chaos Is Calling

Systems

Released

March 18, 2022

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Let’s close things out with another action-based title, Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, which returns to a Job system. It functions as both a prequel to the original game and a reimagining of it. It’s a bit complicated without going into the deeper details of the plot, but the outline is that our hero, Jack, forges a bond with the Warriors of Light to stop Chaos from destroying the world. That’s about it beyond Jack saying “Chaos” every two syllables.

It’s goofy, over the top, bloody, and fun either alone or with friends. That’s right, this spinoff has three-player co-op, which makes diving into the dungeons and leveling up the various Jobs all the more engaging. While it may not have been universally praised, it holds a special place in the hearts of Soulslike enthusiasts.

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