Final Fantasy Tactics Advance – Consumer Guide

According to ESRB, this game contains: Alcohol Reference, Mild Violence

Parents shouldn't have any problems with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance in terms of content. This portable strategy RPG has been designed to appeal to a wide age demographic with it's simplistic story and children characters. For a game that's based entirely around combat, it's not overly violent—there's no blood or gore, just a dying moan from the recently vanquished. Perhaps of more concern to parents with younger children is that the game features a convoluted menu system that will confound a lot of the kids out there. The combat is simple and the whole 'tactics' something of a misnomer, but the menu system definitely isn't as intuitive as it should be.

Casual gamers on the go will find a lot to like in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The save anywhere feature makes it a great game for trips or the dull moments when nothing's happening. It's not as deep as some of the other games in the genre, and therefore remains accessible to even the greenest newcomers to the genre.

Hardcore strategy RPG fans will no doubt be disappointed by how easy the game is, and how tactics rarely ever play a part in the battles. The job system is also stripped down a bit in comparison to the original game, meaning there aren't quite as many options for the players to tweak around.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers should feel confident in picking up this title—there is no voice acting and all of the dialogue is presented in on-screen text. The only thing hearing impaired gamers are going to miss out on is the repetitive music and groans of the dead.