Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is a single-player turn-based tactical role-playing game. Set in the kingdom of Ivalice during a succession crisis known as the War of the Lions, the story follows Ramza Beoulve, a young noble who becomes entangled in the conflict between rival banners and the church that seeks to guide events from the shadows. Told as a historical chronicle, the narrative traces Ramza’s path from a cadet on border patrols to a commander forced to question his family’s loyalties and the cost of stability in a war-torn realm.

Battles take place on isometric, grid-based maps where elevation, terrain, and facing determine movement, accuracy, and damage. Turn order is governed by each unit’s Speed and Charge Time. Positioning to strike from the side or back increases hit rates, and height advantages affect the range of bows and spells. Victory conditions vary by encounter, including defeating all foes, protecting a target, or reaching an objective, and defeated allies can be revived or lost permanently if their countdown expires and they crystallize.

Party building centers on the Job System. Units gain Job Points by acting in combat and spend them to learn abilities in more than twenty jobs, from Squire and Chemist to Ninja, Dragoon, and Summoner. Each character equips one primary action set and one secondary set, along with Reaction, Support, and Movement abilities that reshape their role. Brave influences the power and trigger rate of reactions such as parries and counters, while Faith affects the potency and success of magic. Zodiac compatibility between combatants further modifies damage and hit chances.

Progress between story battles includes recruiting soldiers at towns, outfitting the party with weapons and armor, and accepting propositions at taverns that send idle units on timed errands for gil, experience, and items. Monsters can be persuaded to join with specific abilities, then bred or poached for rare materials. Optional encounters, hidden items on maps, and repeatable training fights allow players to refine builds and assemble equipment sets before advancing the plot.

This edition features a revised script presented in archaic-flavored English, animated cutscenes that bookend major chapters, and additional side content. Two new guest characters can join the party, Luso from Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift and Balthier from Final Fantasy XII, each with unique abilities tied to their origins. New jobs expand progression options, with Onion Knight as a flexible but equipment-driven role and Dark Knight as a late-game discipline that rewards mastery of other martial jobs.

Multiplayer options become available after reaching the world map. Melee mode allows head-to-head skirmishes on selected maps with customizable squads. Rendezvous mode offers cooperative missions against preset enemy teams, with treasure chests and rare rewards that can be brought back into the single-player campaign. These modes are accessed from taverns and use the same core rules as story battles.

Later releases on mobile platforms retain the campaign and job systems while offering interface adjustments suited to touch controls, quick-saving between turns, and widescreen presentation.