Final Fantasy Tactics Had the Best Writing in the Franchise

Special thanks to GetDaved for permitting me to use his Final Fantasy Tactics gameplay for this video... and special thanks to Indi for the thumbnail.
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1. Hearing About Tactics for Years... : 0:00 - 2:01
2. Why Final Fantasy Tactics is So Good: 2:02 - 5:14
3. History Prior to FFT's Story: 5:15 - 8:17
4. Beginning of the Game: 8:18 - 12:42
5. Setting Up the Themes: 12:43 - 13:40
6. The Main Threat: 13:41 - 16:28
7. Delita = Top 10 Best Written Characters: 16:29 - 21:45
8. Ramza and Subtle Philosophy: 21:46 - 24:32
9. Critique of Christianity: 24:33 - 27:07
10. What is the Right Way to Live?: 27:08 - 29:10
How to Play Final Fantasy Tactics:
1. PSP: www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...
PSP Emulator Tutorial: • PPSSPP PSP Emulator Se...
2. PS1: www.ebay.com/b/Final-Fantasy-...
PS1 Emulator Tutorial: • Duckstation PS1 Emulat...
3. iOS/Android: play.google.com/store/apps/de...

[@ResonantArc]

gud gaem

[@EZog58]

One thing that isn't mentioned here, but is essential to Ramza's character, is that he and his little sister are bastards born to a commoner who their lord father fell in love with later in life. Their father treated them well for the rest of his life, as he loved their late mother, but this caused Ramza's older brothers to look down on him more than if he were their full-blooded brother. Ramza was born with his feet in both worlds from the very beginning, so his easy friendship with Delita and willingness to look at conflicts from all sides was inherent to him from the beginning of his life. His father told him on his death bed that he would be the greatest knight in their family, and I agree that the story vindicated Ramza's righteous actions, even if history did not.

[@MonkeyHero]

Nice write up.

[@TheDJman248]

What's even better is that history DID ultimately vindicate Ramza, even if it was waaaaaay afterwards.

[@trasher2692]

Where do you people get this "Ramza was a bastard" thing? I've seen it being brought up many times whenever FFT is mentioned but not once do I remember his noble status be questioned in the game, not even by Algus the "commoners aren't humans" guy, and his mother, while a commoner, is said to be his second wife, not his mistress.

[@EZog58]

@trasher2692 It's stated in the game a few times. Keep in mind my knowledge comes from playing War of the Lions, not the original, so perhaps that is where the disconnect is coming from. She is stated to have been a concubine and at the very least had Ramza before marrying his father. Here is a direct quote from the Cardinal regarding Ramza's birth: "I see Gaffgarion's sword was no match for his words. Then again, perhaps the fault lies with his adversary. Beoulve blood is not given to spill easily. Even when thinned with that of a courtesan, it would seem." In the in-game Chronicles, Ramza is also referred to as "the issue of his father's paramour". I do think these things highly suggest what I stated, but am open to being proven wrong.

[@trasher2692]

@@EZog58 If you're talking about Delacroix calling Ramza's mom a courtesan that means nothing he was already in enmity and about to turn into a demon, Algus also insulted Delitas's mom in the same way suggesting she was a prostitute.

[@mikeoakeshart3823]

Delita is a character where everyone could be, and Ramza is a character where everyone should strive to be.

[@SeventhheavenDK]

Well said.

[@prestonleebenjamin]

Eh, I don't know I think it's a lot deeper (and better) than that. Delita is a representation of people who got dealt all the wrong cards growing up while Ramza, while a bastard had a lot of privilege born into nobility. Don't get me wrong, I love Ramza as a character, but Delita was my favorite character growing up because he was the only character who said 'fuck the system' and made it on his own, in spite of what every other character in the story told him. If Delita 'strived' to be Ramza he would be dead way earlier in the game, especially considering he was a commoner. IIRC Delita started out as a saint, always following the rules and having faith that things will get better believing the nobles that raised him (Ramza's family) would protect him and his sister. Delita's family is a representation of what happens when you aren't born into privilege and you blindly follow what people say, which is what gives Delita his revelation to 'break the system' after the events of Tetra play out (trying to remain spoiler free); Ramza has it nowhere near as hard as Delita, and by the end let's just say Alma is way luckier than Tetra... Point here being, to say that "Ramza is the character everyone should strive to be" I take as saying "just be lucky and born into nobility and be the main character with tons of plot armor," Delita I'd argue was the character who had to go through the world without plot armor while Ramza had all the plot armor due to his nobility. Not at all saying this is bad writing, but just pointing out Delita turned out that way BECAUSE he had no nobility plot armor, while Ramza had the luxury to be empathetic because of his privileges. All in All, I'd say they're both masterfully written characters, since both characters teach very valuable lessons in life to different types of people.

[@heiral7773]

Fk that. King Delita ftw

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

Well put.

[@Loreweavver]

Don't blame me. Blame yourself or God.

[@askiia8713]

_Human, just like you!_

[@ISCREAMSODAsmr]

Blame David Blane

[@LeonardoGarcia-qt6lf]

- "If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class” - Wiegraf

[@LeonardoGarcia-qt6lf]

@@Loreweavver Stupid game made me a moral absolutist and an anarchist in the same move.

[@Fenrisson]

I barely spoke any english at all at the time, but this line stuck with me.

[@zeliardforty-two4692]

Ramza will always be one of my favourite characters. In the face of all the power struggle happening around him he kept his morality in check. He never even sought power or to clear him name. He was faced with doing the right thing even if it meant going against everything, even someone who he had once called brother. In a world that seemed built on the old Greek philosophy “a man should obtain power by any means” I think that is very commendable! I do also understand Delita’s view. Sure his actions were morally questionable, but he was doing what he thought was the best way to change the world around him. Instead of being a pawn he became a major player. Completely embodying the Greek philosophy fully. Eventually falling just like many Greek heroes

[@DanielFalca0]

Heavy lies the crown

[@anonimoalfin]

Never better said. And also in real life.

[@mad0gre]

The most interesting aspect about Ramza and his moral choices, is that in the game it unfolds organically. He doesn't set out as the chosen one, as the hero meant for greatness. He is portrayed as a young man seeking truth, in a world where all truth is doctored and manipulated by those in power. And when he got to the core of it, there was no victory, no glory. There was no mountain of gold, no princess in his castle. And that makes his sacrifice all the more meaningful. He fought for truth, and truth was his only reward.

[@Suikojunkie]

Mister Derrat i came here to tell you that you are a man of culture. It’s not a coincidence if Tactics Ogre is Sagakuchi’s favorite game of all time. Matsuno is special and Square should’ve never let him go.

[@Loreweavver]

Tactics Ogre is incredibly overlooked. The story and gameplay are phenomenal. It was probably one of the games I had that I actually replayed most often because of the many different paths and the different characters you can find.

[@cimsocosmic]

Yes. I like Ogre Battle 64 more but tactics ogre is also incredible.

[@burstofsanity]

The story in Final Fantasy Tactics is definitely one of my favorites. I only played original and somehow missed that Ovelia stabs Delita in that final scene and saw it instead as him having a breakdown from the actions he had taken to get where he was stabbing her unprovoked; or perhaps a deliberate action to remove the final shred of the former system that remained by destroying the royal bloodline completely.

[@WhoIsJohnblack]

Try war of lions its fun

[@TheSlammurai]

To be fair Ovelia was not royal blood at all, as was stated by Folmarv. Delita was present for that conversation so he knows she's a commoner pretending to be a dead Princess.

[@Sena_ttv]

"what are you, enemy or ally?" "human, just like you."

[@akiinmoonlight79]

One of the best games of all time - it deserves a remaster ❤

[@viceverse11]

💯

[@neetscholar4149]

Too bad Square Enix can't be trusted to remake a paper bag these days! >.

[@akiinmoonlight79]

@@neetscholar4149 nah they can pull it of i believe if they stay faithful to the original with additional content it will be perfect

[@onion_____]

They are gonna mess it up. Psp version is the best

[@neetscholar4149]

@@akiinmoonlight79 I guess you slept through the whole FF7 Remake-Rebirth thing. Good luck with that, I would rather keep my expectations around minus-ten.

[@IDoubleJ]

Max dramatically improved his comedic timing and delivery

[@derekz5724]

Holy shit the "this game is the Dark Souls of Final Fantasy" gag made me burst out laughing at work 😂😂😂

[@Thiago_Alves_Souza]

Ramza is very similar to Solid Snake. He never bent in the face of sheer adversity and even when the most soul crushing truths were dropped on him. Not that they didn't have moments of weakness but like Proverbs says, the just may fall 7 times but he will stand 8.

[@Loreweavver]

I was thinking while watching this video that there are a lot of Metal Gear parallels.

[@anonimoalfin]

One of my greatest heroes as a child, but still today!

[@timslack7568]

hopefully this goes viral so that Square will see it and finally give us a remaster. Not a remake, just a good old fashioned remaster that is available to be played without having to have an emulator. It is by far my favorite Final Fantasy game and my experience goes all the way back to beating the original when it was released and is my favorite franchise going on 35 years now

[@SaltyChickenDip]

The war of the Lion version is available on mobile

[@timslack7568]

@@SaltyChickenDip but then it has to be played on mobile which is garbage. Ive tried it, mobile gaming isnt for me

[@mad0gre]

Rapha - “And you fight these men, when fighting them means you must be labeled a heretic? Surely you must realize your efforts will earn you no thanks.” Ramza - “I do not fight for gratitude. I am a Beoulve. I fight for the honor of my name.” Rapha - “I'd not believe that for a moment. You strike me not as the sort of man to fight for things so trite. No, you see evil and injustice before your eyes and cannot turn away. You do not even think to seek reward.” Ramza - - “You mistake me for a better man.”

[@Drifter2025]

I always wanted to read an anime based on the 50-year war and find out how Cid became the legendary man.

[@paulofaquin]

It's easy to know how Cid got legendary, just bring him solo with his Excalibur to a battle and see for yourself, now imagine how every battle he was present went, that's it.

[@Drifter2025]

@@paulofaquin touchè

[@karlklein2263]

12 year old me had no idea how dense this story really is

[@harmlessanimeposter3379]

You were really cooking in the back half of the video! I think the dynamic the game was trying to establish was Delita = the hero (in the political/folklore sense) but obviously, many historical heroes made their legends/names at the expense of others, while Ramza chose the difficult path of martyrdom -- in the truest sense of the word, and sometimes martyrs might be above heroes.

[@chimerawizard5639]

trying to get me to replay Tactics after 20 years? GDI I'm in! [Tidus] "T- T~ that guy"

[@AbyShure]

Woooow. I remember that when I started watching your videos I made this recommendation to you. Now after around 3 years I see this video and it is like a wish came true. This is awesome. Have you ever read about Vagrant Story? As far as I know, many people worked in the development of both games. And both are really something. Hopefully one day you come to play it too. I send you my best regards from Tlaxcallan. Mexico. I really enjoy all your videos.

[@BB-pn2qv]

Vagrant story is on par

[@SeventhheavenDK]

Vagrant Story sux.

[@BB-pn2qv]

@@SeventhheavenDK I politely disagree

[@BeakerSte]

One of my favourite games of all time. I search "FFT remake" at least once a week in the hope that it's finally announced officially

[@MonkeyHero]

Right there with you

[@giovanniprovost]

It will come, they have to do it.

[@user-xp4zf1hd1o]

リメイクを求める消費者が新しい名作を生み出す創造を阻害してる 安易なリメイクは禁断の果実みたいなもん 消費者も反省したほうがいい 素晴らしい作品は良き思い出として、次の名作を生む創造をしたほうがいい 消費者の声は当てになら無いことはままある 名作は作り直さなくてもいつまでも名作。何回も時間が経ってもやり直せるのがゲームのいいところ。

[@BeakerSte]

I agree with you to an extent. Unfortunately, the modern gaming landscape has been extremely poor... ​@@user-xp4zf1hd1o

[@gingerkingds7804]

This game reshaped my young mind and opened my eyes to the coruption of the church and the government. I've been an avid fan since 1997, and still somehow leearned something new from your video 😮 great job, and thank you!

[@Enharmony1625]

Ok, if you haven't played Vagrant Story, you need to play Vagrant Story! It genuinely has a lot of that Souls DNA, and came out 9 years before Demon's Souls. It features writing that is easily on par (I would say even surpasses) Final Fantasy Tactics, and is a true unique gem from the PS1 days. It's also PS1's most technically brilliant game, beyond even Metal Gear Solid and FF7-9.

[@theflashgordon193]

Glad to see some love for vagrant story

[@SeventhheavenDK]

Mere exaggeration about Vagrant Story. All of it.

[@deviancepurplehaze6045]

The community of this gem is still very active. There are mods that make the game better or even change the entire story. "Tis your birth and faith that wronged you, not I."

[@Khwerz]

Gross. That quote completely changes the meaning of the original.

[@Xalmuster]

@@KhwerzNo it doesn’t, it’s what Delita was *actually* saying. He was telling the princess that she should blame her abduction on her royal blood (“yourself”) or the church (“God”) as she is important to both noble and clergy alike as an important piece in their schemes, whether to use her or dispose of her. The PS1 line means absolutely nothing, it feels iconic but it’s meaningless and just sounds edgy.

[@MrVariant]

​@@Xalmusterit's better like battle quotes WOTL took out. Shame psp had slowdown the mobile version fixed, though that lacks multiplayer and makes postgame onion knight a badass with he onion gear (use a fixed damage elemental gun instead of all the work to master for the sword to do damage let alone movement is limited outside chocobo or accessories).

[@Visionary1002]

The class struggle is also a highlight of this game at times. The Corpse Brigade storyline is one of my favorite, because it really made you wonder if you were fighting for the correct side.

[@neetscholar4149]

One thing important to point out is that in the American versions, some characters in the PS1 original and the PSP remakes got slightly different names. Possibly due to translation. And another is that in the original PS1 game, what actually happened at the end between Delita and Ovelia was extremely unclear. I spent years wondering exactly whom did what. And another is that in comparison, none of the other Final Fantasy Tactics sequels ever got a story as amazing as the first one and it's remake got. Nothing even close.

[@st.haborym]

Quite a few of the names where just straight up wrong. Cú Chulainn got mistranslated to Queklain. There's a reason why the tvtropes page for this game has a blind idiot translation entry. Hell they translated fire/ice/thunder breath as BRACELET ffs. How do you even manage to mistranslate something that obvious, so poorly?

[@zerosuitfalcon]

There’s a lot of issues with the translation but he’ll always be Queklain to me. At least until someone can help me comprehend what an Irish legend and a giant blob monster have in common.

[@Tohlemiach]

@@st.haborym pretty easily actually. In Japanese bracelet is ブレスレット (buresuretto) and is often abbreviated as ブレス (buresu). "Breath" is also romanized the exact same way, that is, ブレス (buresu). Probably what happened is that someone was just given a list of terms and asked to translate them with no context. If the translator had been able to see an animation of the attack, they probably would have put two and two together, so that's why my guess is that they just had zero idea what they were translating. As for Cú Chulainn, that's an interesting one. In the original PS1 title, in Japanese his name was キュクレイン (kyukurein) so "Queklain" is a pretty fair interpretation if you had no idea what the original is meant to refer to. Now if you take Cú Chulainn and you have zero clue how it's pronounced, something like "koo koo lane" might seem to make sense, or in the case the original Japanese, "Kyoo koo lane." Nowadays, though, if you look up Cú Chulainn on any Japanese dictionary it will give you クー・フーリン (kuu-fuurin) which is a more accurate attempt to recreate the proper pronunciation that you might imagine as something like "kuh-HULL-inn." Back in the late 90's, I don't really think there was a very large media presence for the figure of Cú Chulainn, so I'm not surprised that not even the Japanese writers knew how his name was pronounced. Since then he's been in a number of media, more prominently in Smite, and his name is pronounced by the announcer in that game whenever you pick him, so a lot of people are getting used to that pronunciation now. The whole thing was a shitshow in all likelihood. Probably a skeleton crew with no budget just translating a list of words and a script with zero reference to what they're talking about all the while some of the original Japanese terms aren't even correct.

[@EmissaryOfSmeagol]

You've got some bangers in the background music

[@detpistonsff7]

My 2 first Final Fantasy games being FFVII and FF Tactics... What a time to be alive. Both are GOATs. I am still pissed that the only Tactics games we received afterwards were those Advance abominations... going from peak Game of Thrones to some Ferngully style fantasy. The whiplash in tone and setting was insane..

[@MonkeyHero]

SAME. It was, quite assuredly, THE Golden Age of JRPG's. Quality did not necessarily get higher than this era did for RPG's as time went on- regardless of technology upgrades to modern gaming.

[@the13thjoker]

FFT advance isn't abomination. The gameplay and class system are better than in FFT. Sure the story is more generic and childish but I don't see it as bad but different. FFTA 2 however...

[@SeventhheavenDK]

I liked both FFTAs too, of course, original FFT is the best.

[@reenchanted]

I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Max!

[@tslfrontman]

Genuinely so happy to see this story and it's arcs get the adoration it deserves. It truly is a phenomenal experience that forever shaped an entire genre of gaming.

[@SuperSanjuro]

Wow, Max! Great video! I say that knowing that your work always reaches a high standard of quality!

[@bondrewdthenovel3598]

Why FF Tactics is the GOAT? Because of Yasumi Matsuno, the God of Tactical RPGs

[@mountainoise]

Final Fantasy Tactics is my favorite game of all time and no other media has ever made me feel the same way as I did when experiencing it for the first time. The OST is truly fantastic and adds so much to the world building. I am always especially moved when thinking about Ovelia and her role in everything. Glad to see you cover this, Max.

[@captindo]

Haven’t played this awesome game in decades. Still waiting for it to come to Xbox. You know, it would only be a short 200 years later that the new world was found and settled on. Wish more rpgs took place in settings like Vagrant Story around the turn of the 18-19 century.

[@itsasecrettoeverybody]

I don't remember this game being difficult. It had some difficult battles, but it never felt like a difficult game to master.

[@MrVariant]

A lot of people don't know the exploits I had a playlist for. In chapter 1, you can easily win doing black magic fire for everyone, and defense boost from the oracle for Ramza is a war of attrition, let alone invigoration life drains to 4 shot lucavi bosses. If you don't maximize bravery with ramza's steel/shout to always react to attacks, and do high monk damage, you're gonna struggle. Dual wield and iaido are nice, but you spend a ton of time as a thief/monk to unlock, and archer without aim is better as its slow and swiftness doesn't work, which also sucks if you spam holy that is fast enough. Better off using a time mage for graviga to 2 shot lucavi, or teleport to make archers OP as they're untouchable and have longer range on high ground. Just add items or white magic raise as life insurance, maybe with concentration to make ranged rend weapon useful (rend speed is more accurate and stops bosses like mimic darlavon sleep does for humans). And don't use Mustadio/Agrias as you lose whatever crossover buildup you had from chapter 1 (balthier is great due to having monk/geomancer unlocked upon recruiting and his better speed/equipment). An orator can recruit overpowered stuff like the blue dragon or dark behemoth (Luso battle in remake).

[@Euph0rical]

Wow 🤩 I was definitely NOT expecting this web of storylines in a Final Fantasy ‘Tactics’ game. Amazing video as always Max!

[@PhilosophersCallingToManga]

I really appreciate you and the fans here, thanks.

[@zoiwill123]

FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT!

[@emmiranda2]

I played this game when I was 10 years old, didn’t know English but only basic terms like magic and attack and so on. I played 3 files of 100 hours each. I have the battle music in my mind to this day. Gameplay is great (although I don’t know if today as adult I would have the patience for it). What I am trying to say is that this game is great at many things, and here we have a 30 min video talking its story and saying nothing about its game design or gameplay or music. Truly an ambitious game. Great vid!

[@nicklaserbeam]

Love seeing you cover this game so well. Easily one of my favorite games of all time!

[@braulhiu]

Max, what a wonderful video, as always. Masterclass from both you and FF tactics.

[@ryanhoekstra6000]

Thanks for the video! This game is filled with plot point that i completely did not understand or missed all together on earlier playthroughs. Such a deep and dense story. I would recommend a new player to use a pen and paper to write down names and factions to keep everything clear. I finally did that on my like 3rd playthrough which made it much more enjoyable! Cheers

[@SuperLumianaire]

My favorite way of breaking the game, is literally breaking. Break speed first on any strong enenies, then their power or magic. Steal anything they have on them. I do not rename Ramza. I name the mercs. The one I call myself, Luminaire ends up being a breaking dragoon with a Holy Lance.

[@TheMemesofDestruction]

Final Fantasy Tactics is Legendary! ^.^

[@Jcarroz]

Very excited to hear your comments on this masterpiece of storytelling. Great work as always 👍

[@zealous944]

lol there is a reason I chose this as my handle. I don't think that being idealistic is being naive. In a perfect world that wouldn't be the case. Just because an ideal is unobtainable, is not an excuse to not strive for it. "the world isn't fair" and whose fault is that? With thinking like this it never will be. "you cant have your cake and eat it too" said the guy who wants your cake. Don't compromise your own truth just because the world and the people in it are content to languish in lies. And on the topic of whether Ramza will ever get the recognition he deserves. Heroism, to me, isn't the parade and the page in an almanac. If you are doing something with the intention of being remembered then I question your intentions. You do something because it's the right thing to do. Whether someone pats you on the ass for it is irrelevant. So before I rant any further lol, I unironically like Ramza more than Delita and think he got his just deserts in the end.

[@michs7451]

If you liked Matsuno’s writing in Final Fantasy Tactics, you should really check out Tactics Ogre. It’s very similar to FFT, but I personally like it much more because it has a more political narrative and its narrative changes according to player choice.

[@FELIXWYNN23]

Barely started the video, so glad you made this! One of the greatest FF games in the franchise

[@tgs5725]

I've never played FFT but I LOVED Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced as a child. It looks very similar to this game but from what I'm reading online it has a different story apparently.

[@wenerjy]

FFT also has an amazing romhack modding scene that adds a lot more content and rebalances the game mechanics to make them more challenging.

[@greatlust]

subbed! I have loved this game since the first time i fought the Great Filter: Wiergraf at Riovanes. I fell n love harder when i found out the port to mobile was a remaster with corrected grammar and text. I will never stop.

[@stoicraziel6272]

There's a raid series in Final Fantasy 14 that continues the story of Tactics in a way, written by the original story writer. I recommend looking into that one too.

[@SeventhheavenDK]

Yeah, but it's also important to point out that the writer himself said that those raids are NOT canon to the story of FFT. It was just a collaboration and nothing more.

[@andrewkline]

Been touting the legend that this game is for about 25 years, personally. Timeless.

[@Void84276]

One of my favorite games! Thanks.

[@Nextliar]

I played this game so any times, but now im getting some things of the game I didn't catch well with this video. lol

[@Densetsu13]

This is my all time favourite game and you have done it justice. Bravo! 👏🏾

[@kennethchia4194]

Well-timed, since I'm playing through this again on my phone right now. This is a classic not just for its gameplay but its immense story.

[@partofthetribe3277]

So glad you're making a video about this I've always said that this one had the best story.

[@anonimoalfin]

A superb video, deep, well documented, but above all fair and accurate, to such a point that I have been forced to log in just to give it a Like, Subscribe, and even leave a comment (all of which I have done only exceptionally, very rarely, in many years). [ 2:45 ] "Sublime" is the correct adjective for FFT, which far surpasses most TRPGs to stand as a true work of art. Played it for the first time in 1997 on the PS1, and it made an indelible impression on me to this day: despite having played, studied and loved all sorts of games since I was born, very few managed to envelop me and move me so much, as only art is capable of doing. However [ 3:12 ] claiming that the game has some of the best writing in all of gaming medium is an understatement: it has without a doubt some of the best writing in all of entertainment media (one that shines even brighter in these dark times, where we have aberrations like Netflix's Witcher, Amazon's Rings of Power, or David Benioff and D.B.Weiss...). It's funny that since GoT came out FFT has been compared to the show because of [ 3:40 ] "...its epic scale, reminiscent, even if not equal to Game of Thrones". But I believe the opposite is true: the rightly abhorred David Benioff and D. B. Weiss would have done well to learn from Master Sensei Yasumi Matsuno (and not just about writing, but also about being at least humans). With infinitely less budget, manpower and privilege than the imbecile "writers" at HBO but with infinitely greater challenges, difficulties and pressures, Matsuno and his team managed to create a profound work of art, cohesive and epic from start to finish, where all the arts (visuals, music, writing, game design) come together in perfect harmony and virtuosity, surpassing the technical limits of the time, to present a reflection that is both poetic [ 4:21 ] and philosophical [ 21:46 ] of life and death, power and religion, geopolitics and justice, the human condition, good and evil, and how humans position themselves in relation to them. Finally I have to thank you, Max, because your vid helped me solve an enigma that occupied me 27 years, and made me understand myself better: after countless videos and documentaries about FFT, after so many discussions and fights in forums, I finally understand why even as a child Delita seemed to me to be the most nefarious, despicable being, while I naturally identified with noble Ramza Beoulve, one of my favorite tragic heroes ever, which resonated so much as a kid. And it is because I was raised and educated in the same deontological values ​​as Ramza, where actions follow principles regardless of the consequences for oneself, and even in spite of oneself. It was called "Honor". By contrast, Delita (plucked from the trash by the noble Beoulves and adopted as another son) hates and resents them instead of thanking them, and makes his way through life by deceiving, scheming, kidnapping, and murdering because he is a Machiavellian utilitarian, a relativist, a consequentialist who (like so many genocide sociopaths in history and today) wouldn't hesitate to murder even his own brother "for the greater good." Oh, how accurate and REAL this epic tale is, when one thinks about world geopolitics and plain everyday life today, "when the only morality that exists in this corrupt world is one based on power" [ 20:20 ]!!!

[@hawkenloob8590]

Very under appreciated game during its time but phenomenal experience. Glad you had the opportunity to enjoy it

[@sagenerd419]

I'm proud of you for how you did this video. This is my absolute favorite game and the scene where Ramza's father emplores him to show his brothers what a true knight is is everything to me Also, story wise, this game has maybe the best opening in video games

[@jayrobitaille2402]

This is one of the most legendary strategy JRPGs, up there with Shining Force I/II/III/CD, Tactics Ogre (which is made by the same team as FFT), Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (+ other notable FE series entries), Disgaea (+other early NIS titles), Growlanser II-IV, Langrisser and Arc The Lad II. The story is riveting but I will always remember how I found an exploit build where you combine the Ninja's ability to dual wield, a skill called Monkey Grip (which I believe is a Fighter passive) that allows two handers to be wielded in one hand and the Samurai's awesome exclusive two-handers.

[@dualshadow6097]

I can never skip an essay about my favorite game. I always admired how Ramza, when faced with losing every privilege has was born with as a Beoulve, never thinked twice about doing the right thing.

[@Fugazity]

To think Oland wanted to tell the world the truth about Ramzas deeds and the church burn him in the stick to death for defending an heretic was also very heart breaking, shows how loyal Oland was to Ramza, even though they meet briefly on the way. But to also think only years, decades, or centuries later, Alazam who was a decedent of Oland family, wanted to clear Oland name, but to do so, had to investigate about Ramzas life to clean his name too. Meaning the motivation for Alazam is also justified; and to involve the player in his journey to uncover the truth is just perfect.

[@jabrakoma]

thank you , now i want to play it again , i played it 20 years ago

[@shayoko6]

Play the PSP version 100% improves EVERYTHING there is apparently a remake/remaster in development right now. 6,7 and tactics all have a good story. hard to pick 1! amazing 6 even competes since it was on such limited hardware. An RPG to check out (not on PC sadly) Unicorn Overlord

[@stephenlanuto5993]

It was my first Playstation game, it was so hard but so good, amazing soundtrack too

[@wolffden08]

I'm of the opinion that Delita did not succeed in defeating the "evil system that controlled Ivalice" but rather became a part of it. That is the tragedy of his character. Ovelia had the same observation seeing how he disdainfully treated Ramza and the others as pawns to discard at a whim just so he could further his own ambition. Walking the path of vengeance blinded him to the fact that he was now inflicting the same injustice he experienced against others. Delita ultimately forgot the lessons of the past and became that which he sought to destroy.

[@J001D]

What an excelent video!

[@FarmerSlideJoeBob]

I remember playing this game for the 1st time as 10 yr old kid on cuba, on a ps1. English wasn't my motherlanguage so I kinda understood the story. Years after I restarted this game on psp and some of the story was more understandable. And even if I don't know each deep meaning etc I was so impressed of the deep story here. To me this game is my favorite😃

[@TerryHesticles87]

My favorite game of all time...Ramza's morality definitely had an effect on me as a kid. This game rocked my world, and I replay it once a year usually. Thanks for covering this.

[@bli2z4rd]

Maybe I'm just bias because I love final fantasy, but I think this is one of your best videos of all time. The story is a huge reason why, you truly got me hooked from beginning to end, I loved hearing more about this story through this video!

[@gringles]

It’s been my favorite FF and one of my favorite RPGs for a long time. Got it on release as kid, right before moving across the country.

[@ItalianAvalanche]

I love the sound track. I heard bangers from Xenogears and Dragon’s Dogma. Great video.

[@BEHEMONAUT]

Great video. You made a great point early on about the difficulty. I only ever stuck with this game because my brother liked it a lot initially. The Machiavellian plot was always really admirable, though i definitely did not understand the vast majority of it at the age of like 16-18. Even given that it was complicated narratively, still much better that Chrono Cross. Tactics, as far as gameplay, looking back, i can see an influence from Live a Live and collector games in a sense. I remember thinking as a younger teenager how awesome the ideas behind gameplay like Gau's rage ability were (personally i hated Gau back then, using the veldt as a means of powering up seemed really stupid compared to all the other stuff you could do,) and where games might go from there. Megaten was already a thing and pokemon either was as well or wasn't far out, i don't remember well, but the ideas that were popping up shaped the tastes for what was to come.

[@FantasyYeet]

Tactics is in my top 5 game of all time. The story, music, characters, battle system, upgrade system. Perfect. I dont think its 10/10, but its 9.5/10. Close enough. The only issue I have with the game is that some of the classes were useless compares to other classes. Tactics still holds up to this day.

[@franimal86]

Yes, that and Calculators were so OP but also made battles a menuing nightmare for people with OCD (like me) looking for the best possible move hahah

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Greatest of all time! Glad you enjoyed it Mr. Derrat. Beautiful write up and now I look forward to your Tactics Ogre journey lol.

[@Mondoness]

If you don't recruit Cid, he shows up with Oran in the cemetery at the end.

[@faissalsoumaille3414]

I love this game, played it when it first came on the PS1 (I was 12), then when they released the WOTL on IOS I had to play it again. Truly an amazing story, well written characters, and finally I found someone who agrees with me, Delita is one of the best written characters os the series

[@anightdragonscreativity1074]

A truly legendary game. Influenced many greats in the genre such as the Disgaea series. I didn't see it mentioned in the comments but the world of Ivalice spans across many games. Its called the Ivalice Alliance series. I believe the chronology is FFXII, then its sequel FFXII: Revenant Wings, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, the original Final Fatasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, and Finally Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. FFT A2 is a strange one story wise because the main game takes place after Revenant Wings but before the original tactics while its prologue and epilogue are after its predecessor FFT A1. Quality varies but I usually only recommend people go that far in the games if they want to deep dive. Another bit of interesting lore is within FFXIV which had its own Return to Ivalice storyline within one of its raid series. Great story there and the fights are fun and difficult to this day. It's not canon to the main story but more of a reinterpretation for FFXIV to tie both universes together. I'd only recommend that if you play the mmo already because its at the end of the third expansion. You can look up the cutscenes on KZbin though. They are really good. Great video!

[@mrcookies409]

It certainly is the most fascinating final fantasy to date.

[@jplayer073]

Still in my top 3 games even today. The music, the setting, the lore, the writing, the gameplay. It's an incredibly put together experience.

[@dafire9634]

16:21 i totally missed that Balthier was a character in FFTactics as well, thats cool Also thanks as always for the videos max!

[@rd-um4sp]

added later in WotL version. In the original you can get Cloud and have a special cameo by Aerith

[@euphoricganjanath5625]

Tactics, is still and will always be, my favorite rpg game. With all the advancements in tech, still nothing can beat how much of an experience tactics is, no matter how you play because of how good the characters and the story is. WOTL only made me love Tactics more. Then theres the gameplay, it makes you want to play the game multiple times just to get a different experience. Then theres the modding community, Tactics and WOTL, have some crazy mods, theres so much fun to be had that is missing in most games today. Vinns Lair just got a whole list of games taken down, never let beautiful works of art die because of companies.

[@Deusvult0001]

One of my all time favorites!!

[@Roger3eme]

I'm a huge fan and collector of anything Final Fantasy related. And FF Tactics is still by far my favorite Final Fantasy game because of the story.

[@duckyoutube6318]

How is the pvp scene? I just learned about it. Im assuming mimes and arithmaticians are banned? Judging by the few moments of gameplay i seen its safe to assume a limit of 1 special job character? If there are any other rules pls let me know as im about to drop some knowledge bombs.

[@adiksaff]

It all makes sense now. You have highlighted how formative this game really was for my childhood. Thank you Mr Derrat! - A deontological

[@phoenixdowner]

Oh! Hello! I remember recommending this game a few times. I'm ready to watch.

[@Pratiko2010]

I hope the intro OST was also a hint of things to come! :)

[@brandonwaller94]

Good god I have never laughed so hard on a segment transition before so early into a video like this, omg I wasn't expecting that at all and it fuggin GOT ME GOOD! ROTFLMAO XD Also it's a real treat seeing one of my fave KZbinrs come to the same conclusion I did about FFT's writing, still hands down my all-time favorite FF game, not to mention it's "the" FF game that actually got me into the franchise to begin with. PS: While I don't remember for certain if it's in both versions or if I'm just misremembering entirely, iirc in-game if you keep constantly topping of Delita's health during the entire first chapter up until the end chapter you'll actually get alternative dialogue where Delita actually ignores part of Argath's little viper-tongue exchange and actually still shows faith in Ramza specifically with kinder dialogue towards him. Sadly I do not have my original copy to test this out and got a bit too much on my plate too look into it directly at this point in time. Also If you're starting to enjoy games like FF Tactics, then I definitely recommend getting into either the Fire Emblem series, or looking into Super Robot Wars OG Saga. though I admit the latter in particular you might be languishing in translation hell since most of the games are still Japan only, plus the GBA versions of the first two games having been made obsolete by the PS2 remake which is the current OG Saga canon.

[@mendora5547]

Big part of it, I think, is that they had a huge amount of work already done for them by design to just pulling a lot of their material from historical account of the Wars of the Roses and slap FF over it -- Exemplar result with only half the amount of work compare to other title.

[@Thennecan]

I always struggle between FFVII and Tactics between which one is my favorite, FFT is definitely a masterpiece. Thanks for this video!

[@Doggomurai]

3:36 it’s equivalent to game of thrones, it is the game of thrones of final fantasy where trust and betrayal are at an all time high, the lust of power can turn a person to a monster, and the poor are nothing more than mere cannon fodder, minus the incest

[@SilentVinyl]

Tactics gameplay is also goated

[@EionBlue]

You should definitely play Vagrant Story if you haven't, same creator, same level of Shakespearean storytelling on a different subject.

[@soccerandtrack10]

1:28 i noticed something like 2/3-5 or more days ago, if every1 learns about stuff they dont like that some1 else/or your freinds/family likes/or just learn about all the stuff they know about what they like=your both get phyncrinisities. And= If i get a phyncrinisity here, but some1 else thinks of the same thing i did=in another country or state. Its not actuelly the bootstrap paradox. Its like d.i.d., we're all part of the same race/concuisness/life. The collective concuisness/unconcuisness is like the brain. Me and some1 else are just 2 parts of the brain= Im like the hippocampus. Some1 else is another specific part. The brain gets all the information= it just splits up so other parts of the brain get it.

[@giovanniprovost]

In FULL AGREEMENT

[@WulfilaBelmont]

Xenogears wass my favorite game for a long time. Up until I played Final Fantasy Tactics, which has been my favorite game since. I'm really glad to see others talking about it in the 2020s. :) If ya like the writing in Tactics, I also highly recommend Final Fantasy XIV online.

[@VirtuousSaint]

time to make a video about Vagrant Story

[@SeventhheavenDK]

Ramza is my favorite male protagonist in the game (the female is Tifa). The only thing I don't like of FFT is that that once the main characters join your party they cease to exist in the story. That was more or less addressed in War of the Lions, but I still think it's not enough, you don't even see them in the ending.