Final Fantasy Tactics spoilers below
27. Final Fantasy Tactics – Fort Zeakden
If you just want to watch the scenes, you can skip the second video since it’s all battle, although you can check it out and skip around for the mid-battle dialogues, which are always great. Playstation-era Final Fantasy was great for ending the first part of the game with a bang, and Final Fantasy Tactics is no exception. The opening scene where Algus kills Teta on Zalbag’s orders serves as an eye opener, not just for Ramza, but the player as well, as he begins to realize that the world is not as idealistic as he imagined it to be (By the way, the music stopping when Algus kills Teta is an excellent touch). FFT had slowly been building up to something great as Chapter 1 progressed, and it definitely delivered on the build up with this part of the game.
First of all, the battle itself is pretty tough, at least for me. Algus comes equipped with Auto-Potion, which makes him a little bit tougher to kill because he can counteract a lot of the damage you can do if you’re not power leveling (especially considering my Ramza has bad compatibility with Algus, so he does less damage anyway). He also has the crossbow and generally focuses on killing Delita as quickly as possible. The Wizards can make life tough for you, and I generally try to go kamikaze on them by sending one guy straight up to them so the spell hits the caster and usually kills them after you land a solid attack on them while they are charging. Your party is also split into two teams, so that can make it harder to work together and form a potent offense, at least for me. Keep in mind that I am bad at FFT, so I’m sure it’s easy for some of you, but not for me.
Of course, it’s the story that makes this part of the game shine. After Dycedarg giving you his word that he would make sure Teta was rescued safely, he and Zalbag stab Ramza and Delita in the back by not only hiring Algus to help him in the attack on Fort Zeakden, but by ordering him to fire the killing blow. Then you get some great mid-battle dialogue between the three of them, especially Ramza and Algus arguing over the duties of the nobility. You can tell Ramza’s struggling to process everything he’s just seen. He just can’t comprehend what happened. You can see the pain of betrayal and manipulation in Delita as well, and this moment was the catalyst for all he does for the rest of the game. A lot of things in FFT are set in motion with this moment. Plus, you get to kill Algus, so that battle is great for some much-needed catharsis.
The scene after the fight is excellent as well, especially Ramza’s speech after the fort explodes. “I’ve taken my whole life for granted. When it came down to it, I dropped it all and ran.” Great quote that succinctly summarizes the mindset of a man whose naïveté was abruptly and forcibly shattered. Final Fantasy Tactics has a lot of great moments, but this one stands out the most to me because the game just hits you with several gut punches right in a row, and you’re just left feeling like, “Man, that really sucked.” Not in the sense that it was poor quality, of course, but in the sense that you feel despondent about what just happened. Moments that leave you feeling that way are hard to come by, which makes them all the more special when they do happen.
Bonus Question: What is your favorite Final Fantasy Tactics moment?
--
"Hold on a minute! That testimony stinks!"
"Witness! You can't just say 'Hello' and expect us to get anywhere! I want you to testify!"