Fae Tactics

Fae Tactics is not really like other tactical RPGs that I've played, despite sharing a lot of foundational DNA as some of the greats. While other similar games have ended up feeling a fair bit more derivative, Fae Tactics's manages to stand out on pure inventiveness and imaginative structure. A unique narrative framework, distinct focus on summoning mechanics, high level of variety, and smartly-designed challenge makes Fae Tactics a near must-play for fans of tactical RPGs.

I can’t recommend Fae Tactics enough to those of you out there waiting for Square to take another longform stab at FFT. It may lack the abundance of micro managing you're used to, but the more straight on approach really puts the combat front and center, and I never missed upgrading menial unit equipment or cross classing or the like. Whether the trend catches or not, I can’t say, but don’t miss the truly fresh take on the classic formula.

One of the most interesting and enjoyable tactics games of the last few years. Each battle is a lot of fun to play, and while it can feel bloated in some places due to the sheer amount of stuff there is to do, it’s nearly always charming enough to keep you invested. It’s also easy on both the eyes and ears and I defy anyone who has missed the golden days of tactics games not to play this with a smile on their face.

Fae Tactics takes an enjoyable swing at streamlining a complex genre, but doesn’t reinvent it in the process.

Fae Tactics definitely has its flaws, and the glitches I encountered were about as hard to overcome as the many daunting challenges it presents. However, the fact that I rated it so highly in spite of these limitations is a testament to just how nuanced its gameplay mechanics are and how absolutely thrilling the game can be when the right strategy comes together and everything falls into place. If the game can be successfully patched so that the glitches aren’t an issue anymore, then I would easily recommend this title to SRPG fans looking for an undeniable challenge, since Fae Tactics certainly delivers that.

If all you want is a series of complex battles marked by escalating difficulty, you can’t go wrong here. There was just something about the narrative and the pacing that kept me from getting fully hooked. You can tweak the game speed, but this doesn’t change the fundamental flow of the battles. Perhaps my time in the Disgaea trenches has permanently scarred my psyche, or maybe I’m onto something here. Either way, beyond my minor grievances is a tactics RPG built from countless layers of approachable mechanical complexity. Fans of this sleepless, neurotic RPG subgenre owe it to themselves to give Fae Tactics a shot.

Fae Tactics is a charming, ambitious homage to classic tactical RPG’s with plenty of its own ideas, but it never quite add up to greatness. It fails to explain so much of what’s going on under-the-hood that victories often feel unearned and defeats often feel arbitrary. The great presentation and some solid core systems means it stays entertaining in small doses, however. I’d still tentatively recommend it to dedicated genre fans.

My initial impression of Fae tactics was that there were a few key things missing that would make the game an enjoyable experience. A recent update has patched out some of the more frustrating design choices (e.g. NPCs falling into water or holes and dying instantly) which I think is probably in the best interests of the game finding its mark amongst more casual players of this genre. Fae Tactics combines a Pokemon-like creature collecting and leveling system, with a spell casting system, creating real drama (the good kind of drama) in levels with unlockable spells to be found, collectables to recover, and powerful enemy bosses. Many of the early levels play out like well-tuned puzzles, requiring ample consideration of the rock-paper-scissors style of combat (strengths and weaknesses of foes). The combo, critical and mb (shield) system add interest. One thing I noticed was that I was really rewarded for changing out and trying different monsters in my line-up, rather than say, Pokemon where you can usually end the game with the same six creatures you found from the start. There are some make-or-break scenarios where characters can either be lost forever, or recruited to your team. I wish that I had saved more often - as these choices can be time-limited and resource intensive - I would have happily given up Ragnarok in order to [insert spoiler here]. The music mostly hits the mark, however I found the boss theme did become repetitive. The charming art style was another real draw card for me, when I was struggling with the pre-patched build and wondering if the sudden difficulty spike after the first chapter was worth being patient with. All put together this is an amazing release and I can't wait to see what comes next from this studio. 9/10

I've been a really huge fan of tactics game since the final fantasy tactics and this has the spirit of it. Since I've been following the development of the game I've found everything to be expected with no huge changes from what I expected. I would consider this a 8/10 but because of the positive effect the game had I increased the score one point for personal enjoyment.

Sometime did you already think about what would come from a mix of games that you loved in your childhood? Fae tactics is a clear tribute of legend of mana with the tactics gameplay that become famous from final fantasy tactics, and monster collection from the "mon" games. Besides these inspirations, the game have your own personality that makes it even more interesting. But im warning you guys, its a tactical game. So it might become a really chalenge for those how seek a simple and ordinary gameplay.

How can someone not enjoy this little tactical game? it has a fun story, a dynamic animated sprite system which display clear emotions and feelings, and a good gameplay. Hell it's not the best, but for its price, it's really worth the play.

It's a good tactics game at its core, but one little thing just completely ruins it - there's no way of telling how hard the next fight will be. Regular battles are fairly easy, but the purple skull boss battles are a total gamble. It could be a normal fight, albeit multi-phased, maybe a little more challenging. Or it could be a complete disaster, with a boss whose HP is in the tens of thousands (for comparison, your characters' HP is somewhere around 50-100 at the early stages of the game), plus two or three additional bosses (around 300-500 HP each), plus several regular minions. And there's no way of knowing what awaits you beforehand. It could be that the first two stages are easy, but the final stage boss just completely annihilates your party within two rounds. So, yeah, it's obviously meant to incentivize heavy grind, and that's about the worst thing any game can do. It's funny how much this game was influenced by FFTA2, and the developers were like "You know what that game lacked? F*cking dozens of hours of grinding!". It's a shame because otherwise Fae Tactics is a pretty decent game with a nice, if a little derivative art style, versatile combat and even some worthy improvements over classic TRPG formula, like passing your turn giving you buffs instead of, you know, nothing. But the grind and the unpredictability are two huge flies in the ointment that kill any possible enjoyment of the game.