5. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Tactics A2 is technically a sequel to the first game, but it’s more of a standalone story than anything. A2 takes place in a new region of Ivalice called Jylland and even adds on a couple new races like the Seeq from Final Fantasy XII and a race of winged beings known as Gria. Much like the first game you play as Luso, a young boy from the real world that gets sucked into the world of Ivalice through a mysterious tome.
While the story of A2 is serviceable, there’s just nothing quite as engaging as the first Tactics Advance. Characters, besides Luso, are mostly flat and nothing about Jylland holds the same wonder and uniqueness about Ivalice from the first game. That’s not to say that Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is bad, the strategic gameplay is better than ever, but in terms of an interesting Ivalice to see and explore, the first Tactics Advance definitely has this one beat.