Summary
Final Fantasyisno stranger to spin-offs, as this long-running JRPG franchise has quite a few different subseries that exist underneath the mainline titles. But perhaps no spin-off has as much of a ravenous following as the Ivalice Alliance series. Ivalice itself first appeared inFinal Fantasy Tactics, establishing it as a realm where the franchise could spread its wings.
Ever since then, Ivalice has cultivated a devoted and passionate fanbase that has pushedSquareto revisit this unique setting every so often. Some of the games in the Ivalice Alliance have even been more interesting than the franchise that spawned it, as this fascinating fantasy world has been home to some of Square’s best titles.
Initially beginning development as a completely unrelated game, Square eventually decided to turn this DS RPG into aFinal Fantasy 12sequel of sorts. Although it’s not seen as a direct sequel by Square,Final Fantasy 12: Revenant Wingsdoes feature the same stellar cast fromFF12. And while the combat and gameplay aren’t entirely similar to the console version, it’s still an absolute blast to play.
WhereasFF12on the console was a sort of hybrid between turn-based and MMO-style combat systems,Revenant Wingsis a full-on real-time strategy game. It almost feels like the perfect blend between the action-based combat from12and the strategic elements ofFinal Fantasy Tactics. It’s not often talked about today, butRevenant Wingsis still one of the best entries in the Ivalice Alliance series.
Final Fantasy Tacticsis still one of the most popular strategy RPGs on the PS1, andthe Gameboy Advance versionof this spectacular title is one of the best entries in the Ivalice Alliance series.Tactics Advanceisn’t a sequel, but rather a side story. Taking place in the town of St. Ivalice, it chronicles the adventures of a group of children who get transported to Ivalice and their struggle to escape.
Everything that madeFinal Fantasy Tacticsa great game is here in the GBA version, featuring gorgeous sprite work and the same delightful strategy gameplay. Along with an amazing soundtrack and some truly deep customization,Final Fantasy Tactics Advanceis still worth tracking down today as one of the Ivalice Alliance’s most worthwhile entries.
Final Fantasy Tacticswas the debut title in the Ivalice Alliance, as fans saw their first glimpse of this fascinating world back in 1998. The franchise was starting a meteoric ascent thanks to the recent release ofFinal Fantasy 7just a few months prior, soTacticscame out at the exact right time. It even features Cloud Strife as a hidden character.
Tacticsis still one ofthe greatest strategy RPGsof all time, as the rich and complex battle system plays out perfectly on the brilliantly designed maps. Everything from the music to the sprite work, the cast of characters, and the fantastic writing, all melds together into one of the best entries in the series.
Although it wasn’t initially conceived as a part of the Ivalice Alliance,Vagrant Storywas folded into the series via references to the city of Lea Monde where the game takes place, and the introduction of the Riskbreaker clan ranking inFinal Fantasy 12. No matter how one slices it,Vagrant Storyis still one of the best games that one can play in the Ivalice Alliance series.
This robust, gorgeous action RPG stars Ashley Riot, a member of a group called the Riskbreakers that gets caught up in a conspiracy surrounding a cult led by the charismatic Sydney Losstarot. Featuring a wonderfully unique battle system,Vagrant Storyis still one ofthe PS1’s greatest RPGsand a spectacular entry into the Ivalice series.
As a result ofFinal Fantasy 11being an MMO, the gap between single-playerFFgames was a bit larger than usual. But the resultturned out to be worth it, asFinal Fantasy 12was released five years afterFinal Fantasy 10in 2006 and was set firmly in the world of Ivalice. The turn-based elements that had made up the previous games were still there, but this bold new direction forFinal Fantasyset the stage for what the series would become moving forward.
The combat system was influenced by MMO design philosophies, as it excluded the traditional random battles entirely and fights that unfold in real-time with auto attacks. It is one of the first games that springs to mind when the discussion of Ivalice is brought up, as it established a lot of the larger world outside what had already been established. It’s certainly one of the more uniqueFinal Fantasygames, but easily the best game to be born out of the Ivalice Alliance.
