CORFAISUS'S PROFILE

Wiegraf is the #1 reason why players give up on Final Fantasy Tactics. The second of the three battles at Riovanes Castle starts with a one-on-one duel between Ramza and Wiegraf. Unless you either know what's coming in advance or have a particularly powerful Ramza (with some very specific equipment), Wiegraf will wipe the floor with you over and over again. To make matters worse, once you finish the first battle at Riovanes, you can't leave until all three are finished. If you can't beat Wiegraf and neglected to save to another file before entering Riovanes, you're stuck. During my first time playing Tactics I developed Ramza as a Black Mage/Time Mage, having no idea something like this would ever happen. Each try went something like:


- Turn #1: Wiegraf uses Lightning Stab.
- Turn #2: Ramza begins casting Ice2.
- Turn #3: Wiegraf uses Lightning Stab.
* GAME OVER *


- Turn #1: Wiegraf uses Lightning Stab.
- Turn #2: Ramza begins casting Stop.
- Turn #2: Wiegraf uses Lightning Stab.
* GAME OVER *


- Turn #1: Wiegraf uses Lightning Stab.
- Turn #2: Ramza begins casting Haste.
- Turn #3: Wiegraf uses Lightning Stab.
* GAME OVER *

There's nothing quite like sinking fifteen to twenty hours into a video game and then having to start over from scratch. I think at this point I threw Tactics aside and replayed Shining Force II with my thumb in my mouth.

Reason #2 why people give up playing Final Fantasy Tactics. So you've finally managed to luck out and beat Wiegraf, even though it took twenty minutes of running back and forth while pecking away at his health? Don't pat yourself on the back just yet. As soon as Wiegraf collapses, Velius drops in. Don't expect a fight as easy as Queklain. Velius is fast. He's got more HP than anything you've fought so far. He packs one of the strongest spells in the game and has an ability that cuts its charge time in half. He comes backed by three Archaic Demons who are capable of picking your team off at wide distances with Dark Holy and Gigaflare, and have too much HP to take out in just one or two turns. And if you happen to lose the battle (likely), you get to reboot and fight Wiegraf all over again. Jeez. I don't think Tactics ever gets harder than this.

In Final Fantasy Tactics: The Story, Rafa is the more discerning and perceptive of the Galthana siblings. In Final Fantasy Tactics: The Game, Rafa is a suicidal moron, as anyone who's spent two hours stuck at the Riovanes Rooftop battle will attest. "PROTECT RAFA FROM ELMDOR AND HIS ASSASSINS," says the battle prompt. Four times out of five, the AI-controlled Rafa will begin the fight by strolling right up to Elmdor and his one-hit kill hussies, whack at them with her crappy little stick, and get slashed to pieces in retaliation for an instant Game Over. Schade!