Final Fantasy: A Look Back: 1998

Created mostly by the same people that made Ogre Battle for the SNES, Final Fantasy Tactics arrived in the states on January 28, 1998 for the PlayStation console. This was more of a spinoff strategic RPG with elements from the other FF games. It's set in the world of Ivalice, the mythical world also featured in Final Fantasy XII, as well as a few others now set to be released in the Ivalice Alliance set. The story takes place during a period of war and a young cadet by the name of Ramza Beoulve finds himself thrown into the middle of it all. He searches for the truth behind the war with about a dozen characters recruited along the way. Players control up to 5 characters at a time, with 19 jobs available -- Squire, Knight, Archer, Samurai, Ninja, Monk, Thief, Lancer, Geomancer, Dance, Mime (female), Chemist, Priest, Wizard, Oracle, Time Mage, Mediator, Calculator, Summoner and Bard (male). The latest Tactics installment, War of the Lions, adds Onion Knight and Dark Knight. With around 400 abilities to access, these all provided a very challenging experience. The music was done by Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata, who later made music for FF XII. Naturally, there were comparisons made to Nobuo Uematsu's music, but the soundtrack received great reviews. The only big complaint seems to be the poor translation to English. Overall, many were satisfied with the game, though it became a rather obsure game, having to contend with the popularity of Final Fantasy VII.

March 19, 1998 - Final Fantasy V for the PSX is released in Japan.

May 31, 1998 - Final Fantasy VII for the PC is released in Japan.