As a sequel to 2003's Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, A2 kicks things off with a familiar premise. Your character is a small child who is mysteriously plucked from the real world and taken to Ivalice, a fantasy realm where Chocobos run wild and the earth's floor is conveniently divided into a geometric grid. This time, your character goes by the name Luso Clemens. He's a bit of a mischief-maker who's been told to serve out detention on the last day of school before summer vacation. Luso begrudgingly accepts this punishment, but he's not in the library for more than five minutes before he discovers a magical book that transports him to Ivalice.

This is where Luso meets Cid, leader of Clan Gully. Cid quickly recruits you as a member of his posse, and from there, you'll set off on a series of quests that unfold a whimsical, lighthearted plot. Most quests take the form of battles where the end goal is to clear out a plane of scattered enemies. It's in these battles where the game feels most familiar. You select six members from your group and place them on a preselected chunk of the battlefield. Proper strategy calls for a good mix of classes, such as melee-attacking warriors, long-range archers, and mages of a variety of colors. Then, it's just a matter of keeping a watchful eye on all the variables your standard tactical RPG forces you to keep track of, such as how proximity and direction in relation to enemies affects your mathematical odds of landing a good hit. In our experience, the battles still manage to give your brain a solid workout while once again residing on the light end of the strategy spectrum.

Review